Part 22 (1/2)
”I will take the word back,” said he ”But there is such a thing as Fair gude s'en and fair gude day, Mr David These are the saet through life: your backwardness has a look of arrogance; and unless you can assuhtness of manner, I fear you will meet difficulties in the path”
”It will be an ill job to make a silk purse of a sow's ear,” said I
On thein of an express; and getting to er had ridden hard Soe, where he was sitting in his bedgown and nightcap, with his letters round him
”Mr David,” add he, ”I have a piece of news for you It concerns some friends of yours, of whom I sometimes think you are a little ashamed, for you have never referred to their existence”
I suppose I blushed
”See you understand, since you nal,” said he ”And I must compliment you on your excellent taste in beauty But do you know, Mr David? this see lass She crops up from every side The Government of Scotland appears unable to proceed for Mistress Katrine Drureat while back) with a certain Mr David Balfour Should not these ood match? Her first intromission in politics-but I must not tell you that story, the authorities have decided you are to hear it otherwise and from a livelier narrator This new example is more serious, however; and I aence that she is now in prison”
I cried out
”Yes,” said he, ”the little lady is in prison But I would not have you to despair Unless you (with your friends and ”
”But what has she done? What is her offence?” I cried
”It h treason,” he returned, ”for she has broke the king's Castle of Edinburgh”
”The lady is muchwere serious”
”And yet it is serious in a sense,” said he; ”for this rogue of a Katrine-or Cateran, as we ain upon the world that very doubtful character, her papa”
Here was one of ain at liberty He had lent his men to keep me a prisoner; he had volunteered his testimony in the Appin case, and the sae) had been employed to influence the jury Now caht please the authorities to give to it the colour of an escape; but I knew better-I knew it ht relieved ht to have broke prison for her father; she ht have believed so herself But the chief hand in the whole business was that of Prestongrange; and I was sure, so far fro her come to punishment, he would not suffer her to be even tried Whereupon thus came out of me the not very politic ejaculation:
”Ah! I was expecting that!”
”You have at tie
”And what is my lord pleased to ”, he replied, ”that being so clever as to draw these inferences, you should not be clever enough to keep them to yourself But I think you would like to hear the details of the affair I have received two versions: and the least official is thefrohter 'Here is all the town bizzing with a fine piece of work,' she writes, 'and ouldee of his lordshi+p my papa I a else) to have forgotten Grey Eyes What does she do, but get a broad hat with the flaps open, a long hairy-like ravatt; kilt her coats up to Gude kens whaur, clap two pair of boot-hose upon her legs, take a pair of clouted brogues [15] in her hand, and off to the Castle! Here she gives herself out to be a soutar [16] in the eets admitted to his cell, the lieutenant (who see his soldiers of the soutar's greatcoat Presently they hear disputation and the sound of blows inside Out flies the cobbler, his coat flying, the flaps of his hat beat about his face, and the lieutenant and his soldiers hed no so hearty the next time they had occasion to visit the cell and found nobody but a tall, pretty, grey-eyed lass in the female habit! As for the cobbler, he was 'over the hills ayout Duht that poor Scotland will have to console herself without hiht in public Indeed, the whole town adarters in their button-holes if they could only get theone to visit her in prison too, only I rehter; so I wrote her a billet instead, which I entrusted to the faithful Doig, and I hope you will ado with those of the wiseacres, so that you omerals, do tell Dauvit Balfour I would I could see the face of hied lass in such a predicahter, and his respectful friend' So e ”And you see, Mr David, it is quite true what I tell you, that ard you with the oed,” said I
”And was not this prettily done!” he went on ”Is not this Highland maid a piece of a heroine?”
”I was always sure she had a great heart,” said I ”And I wager she guessed nothingBut I beg your pardon, this is to tread upon forbidden subjects”
”I will go bail she did not,” he returned, quite openly ”I will go bail she thought she was flying straight into King George's face”
Re in captivity, e ad when he considered her behaviour As for Miss Grant, for all her ill habit of mockery, her admiration shone out plain A kind of a heat cahter ” I began
”That I know of!” he put in, san wrong It would doubtless be unwise in Mistress Grant to go to her in prison; but for me, I think I would look like a half-hearted friend if I did not fly there instantly”
”So-ho, Mr David,” says he; ”I thought that you and I were in a bargain?”
”My lord,” I said, ”when I oodness, but I'll never can deny that I wasin my heart, and I think shame of it now It may be for your lordshi+p's safety to say this fashi+ous Davie Balfour is your friend and housemate Say it then; I'll never contradict you But as for your patronage, I give it all back I ask but the one thing-let ive me a pass to see her in her prison”