Part 24 (2/2)
For about exactly two e's family, where I bettered my acquaintance with the bench, the bar, and the flower of Edinburgh colected; on the contrary, I was kept extremely busy I studied the French, so as to be , and wrought hard, sometimes three hours in the day, with notable advance, as an aptclass; and by the orders of , at which I ood enough to say it gave enteel; and there is no question but I learned to e my coat skirts and sith h the saed to me My clothes the circumstance, such as where I should tiethe three ht One ith another, no doubt I was a good deal improved to look at, and acquired a bit of ood folks at Essendean
The two youngerto discuss a point of my habilihts I cannot say that they appeared any other way conscious of h always more than civil, with a kind of heartless cordiality, could not hide how much I wearied them As for the aunt, she was a wonderful still woave the rest of the fahter and the Advocate himself were thus my principal friends, and our familiarity was much increased by a pleasure that we took in common Before the courtvery nobly with an open table, and here it was that we three began to ride out together in the fields, a practice afterwards h, so far as the Advocate's continual affairs perood frame by the briskness of the exercise, the difficulties of the way, or the accidents of bad weather, ers, and speech not being required, it flowed the more naturally on Then it was that they had my story from me, bit by bit, froe and battle in the Covenant, wanderings in the heather, etc; and fro the circumstance of a jaunt we made a little later on, on a day when the courts were not sitting, and of which I will tell a trifle th
We took horse early, and passed first by the house of Shahere it stood sreat field of white frost, for it was yet early in the day Here Prestongrange alighted down, gave me his horse, an proceeded alone to visit my uncle My heart, I reht of that bare house and the thought of the oldwithin in the cold kitchen!
”There is my home,” said I; ”and my family”
”Poor David Balfour!” said Miss Grant
What passed during the visit I have never heard; but it would doubtless not be very agreeable to Ebenezer, for when the Advocate caain his face was dark
”I think you will soon be the laird indeed, Mr Davie,” says he, turning half about with the one foot in the stirrup
”I will never pretend sorrow,” said I; and, to say the truth, during his absence Miss Grant and I had been e the place in fancy with plantations, parterres, and a terrace-much as I have since carried out in fact
Thence we pushed to the Queensferry, where Rankeillor gave us a good welcoreat a visitor Here the Advocate was so unaffectedly good as to go quite fully overperhaps two hours with the Writer in his study, and expressing (I was told) a great esteem for myself and concern forRankeillor took boat and passed the Hope to Liht, offensive) with his ad lady, and to my wonder (only it is so co, to be a little gratified One use it had: for ere come to the other side, she laid her commands on him to mind the boat, while she and I passed a little further to the alehouse This was her own thought, for she had been taken with my account of Alison Hastie, and desired to see the lass herself We found her once ht all day in the fields-and she curtsied dutifully to the gentry-folk and the beautiful young lady in the riding-coat
”Is this all the welco out my hand ”And have you no more memory of old friends?”
”Keep me! wha's this of it?” she cried, and then, ”God's truth, it's the tautit [19] laddie!”
”The very same,” says I
”Mony's the time I've thocht upon you and your freen, and blythe ah I kent ye were corand present that ye sent me and that I thank ye for with a' my heart”
”There,” said Miss Grant to uid bairn I didnae come here to stand and haud a candle; it's her and me that are to crack”
I suppose she stayed ten minutes in the house, but when she cas-that her eyes were reddened, and a silver brooch was gone out of her bosom This very much affected me
”I never saw you so well adorned,” said I
”O Davie owk!” said she, and was more than usually sharp to ht we caood while I heard nothing further of Catriona- my mouth with pleasantries At last, one day that she returned fro and found ht there was sohtened, the eyes sparkling high, and a bit of a sarded me She see briskly in the roo and (at the least) with nothing intended on h-the more I tried to clamber out upon the side, the deeper I becareat deal of passion, that she would take that answer from the hands of none, and I must down upon my knees for pardon
The causelessness of all this fuff stirredyou can properly object to,” said I, ”and as for my knees, that is an attitude I keep for God”
”And as a Goddess I a her brown locks at ht colour ”Every man that comes within waft of o so far as ask your pardon for the fashi+on's sake, although I vow I know not why,” I replied ”But for these play-acting postures, you can go to others”
”O Davie!” she said ”Not if I was to beg you?”
I bethoughtwith a woman, which is the same as to say a child, and that upon a point entirely for,” I said, ”not worthy in you to ask, or me to render Yet I will not refuse you, neither,” said I; ”and the stain, if there be any, rests with yourself” And at that I kneeled fairly down