Part 23 (1/2)

”Na, na”, said I ”Ta forsomewhat broad, I had been led by imitation into an accent ood deal broader, indeed, than I have written it down; and I was the more ashamed when another voice joined in behind me with a scrap of a ballad:

”Gae saddle me the bonny black, Gae saddle sune and mak' him ready For I will down the Gatehope-slack, And a' to seelady, when I turned to her, stood in a own, and her hands muffled in the same, as if to hold me at a distance Yet I could not but think there was kindness in the eye hich she saw me

”My best respects to you, Mistress Grant,” said I, bowing

”The like to yourself, Mr David,” she replied with a deep courtesy ”And I beg to remind you of an old musty saw, that meat and mass never hindered ood Protestants But the meat I press on your attention And I would not wonder but I could find so for”

”Mistress Grant,” said I, ”I believe I am already your debtor for some ned paper”

”Unsigned paper?” says she, and made a droll face, which was likeondrous beautiful, as of one trying to remember

”Or else I am the more deceived,” I went on ”But to be sure, we shall have the tiood as to s you at this tiive yourself hard na and I would be blythe to take harder at your clever pen,” says I

”Once more I have to admire the discretion of all men-folk,” she replied ”But if you will not eat, off with you at once; you will be back the sooner, for you go on a fool's errand Off with you, Mr David,” she continued, opening the door

”He has lowpen on his bonny grey, He rade the richt gate and the ready I troould neither stint nor stay, For he was seeking his bonny leddy”

I did not wait to be twice bidden, and did justice to Miss Grant's citation on the way to Dean

Old Lady Allardyce walked there alone in the garden, in her hat anda silver-hted froees, I could see the blood co into the air like what I had conceived of es you to h her nose ”I cannot bar it The males of my house are dead and buried; I have neither son nor husband to stand in the gate for ar can pluck me by the baird [18]-and a baird there is, and that's the worst of it yet!” she added partly to herself

I was extremely put out at this reception, and the last remark, which seemed like a daft wife's, left me near hand speechless

”I see I have fallen under your displeasure, ma'am,” said I ”Yet I will still be so bold as ask after Mistress Dru eye, her lips pressed close together into twenty creases, her hand shaking on her staff ”This cows all!” she cried ”Ye come to me to speir for her? Would God I knew!”

”She is not here?” I cried

She threw up her chin and made a step and a cry at me, so that I fell back incontinent

”Out upon your leeing throat!” she cried ”What! ye come and speir at me! She's in jyle, whaur ye took her to-that's all there is to it And of a' the beings ever I beheld in breeks, to think it should be to you! Ye timmer scoun'rel, if I had a male left to my name I would have your jaicket dustit till ye raired”

I thought it not good to delay longer in that place, because I re As I turned to the horse-post she even followed me; and I make no shame to confess that I rode aith the one stirrup on and scra for the other

As I knew no other quarter where I could pushleft me but to return to the Advocate's I ell received by the four ladies, ere now in coe and ent in the west country, at the reat weariness tolady, hoain, observed ht of my impatience At last, after I had endured afor an interview before her aunt, she went and stood by the h key-”He that will not when he may, When he will he shall have nay” But this was the end of her rigours, and presently, aftersome excuse of which I have no mind, she carried me away in private to her father's library I should not fail to say she was dressed to the nines, and appeared extraordinary handsome

”Now, Mr David, sit ye down here and let us have a two-handed crack,” said she ”For I have rossly unjust to your good taste”

”In what manner, Mistress Grant?” I asked ”I trust I have never seemed to fail in due respect”

”I will be your surety, Mr David,” said she ”Your respect, whether to yourself or your poor neighbours, has been always and most fortunately beyond iot a note from me?” she asked