Chapter V · Chapter 5

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

further or added

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

very pleasing to the eye

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

fern of southeastern Asia; not hardy in cold temperate regions

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

superlative of “brief” — of short duration or distance

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

placed in a grave

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

plural of “cairn” — a mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

applying to ordinary citizens as contrasted with the military

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

divisible by two

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

by good fortune

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

set up or found

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

the act of departing

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

destroyed or killed

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

a large and imposing house

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading There were still some stragglers for whom they must wait.

a condition requiring relief

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

not any; not one

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

plural of “offering” — something offered (as a proposal or bid)

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

above and across; more than

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

a separate part of a whole

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

the act of having and controlling property

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

showing possibility of achievement or excellence

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

plural of “question” — an instance of questioning

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

with low volume

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

in the manner of someone who is very hungry

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

without much difficulty

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

an instance of visual perception

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading There would have been little good in going to search for them, and there was no need to hurry home, for the afternoon was not far over--at least there would have been no need if the bairns had not been all so ravenously hungry.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

not in physical motion

From this reading There were still some stragglers for whom they must wait.

plural of “straggler” — someone who strays or falls behind

From this reading There were still some stragglers for whom they must wait.

spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

give something useful or necessary to

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

in or at that place or location

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

plural of “three” — the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

plural of “two” — the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

precisely as stated

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading There were still some stragglers for whom they must wait.

plural of “wandering” — travelling about without any clear destination

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

at the time that

From this reading And though Allison's answers were of the briefest, when the mistress began to question her about herself and her life before she came to Nethermuir, they were civil, and they were quietly and readily given, and fortunately there was not much time for questions; for the bairns came straggling back by twos and threes as they had gone away.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading There were still some stragglers for whom they must wait.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The "piece" which each had brought from home had been made away with by the greater number, before even the "Stanes" were in sight, and the additional supply which Allison had provided did not go very far among so many.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Each brought some treasure found in their wanderings, and Marjorie would have been buried beneath the offerings of flowers, and tender green bracken, and "bonny stanies" that were brought to her, if Annie Cairns had not taken possession of them all, promising to carry them safe to the manse.