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Chapter Six
After the death of Andrew there was no further talk as to whether
Sarah and her mother would remain at Rathard. Once the fever had passed its
crisis, rank came into the kitchen and sat crouched at the fire, while the
women went about their work, indoors and outdoors. His fever had been broken
by some concoction brewed by Agnes Sampson, and she came up each day with more
brews in which the herbs had changed their proportions, or to which fresh
ingredients had been added. The Echlins had a great regard for Agnes, and
soon Sarah also was looking forward with pleasure to the visits of this
laughter-loving old woman with the heavy bosom and slim ankles. hen her
light dancing step was heard in the close and she came into the kitchen,
talk sprang on people’s lips, and the fire which had been nodding in the
hearth drew up vigouously under the lowered kettle, as though it felt the
eye of its mistress. It was during one of these visits that Sarah learned
that Fergus Pentland had the gift of charming sick animals and people
suffering from eresipylis. "A lock of ungodly nonsense!" cried Martha angrily,
and Frank threw back his head and laughed for the first time since his
illness. Let him be better and get about his work again, prayed Sarah, as
she heard his laugh.
For in each of those few days she could almost feel the springs of
vitality and desire rise again in the man at the fireside. His eyes rarely
left her as she moved about the kitchen. He answered Martha from the corner
of his mouth as he gazed at her daughter.
She had been kneading bread at the table when suddenly he got up and
came towards her, his blanket drop ing from his shoulders onto the chair.
