Part 28 (1/2)
This word I wrote and sealed; which while I was doing, Sprott of his own e himself with Miss Drummond's mails, and even send a porter for them to the inn I advanced hiaveof the su my arm to Catriona) we left the house of this unpalatable rascal She had said no word throughout, leaving e and speak in her place; I, upon lance; and even now, although er, I made it et back to yon same inn where they can speak the French, have a piece of dinner, and inquire for conveyances to Rotterdaain in the hands of Mrs Gebbie”
”I suppose it will have to be,” said Catriona, ”though whoever will be pleased, I do not think it will be her And I will re, and three baubees”
”And just this once again,” said I, ”I will rest with you”
”What else would I be thinking all this tihed a little on ood friend to me”
CHAPTER XXIII-TRAVELS IN HOLLAND
The rattel-waggon, which is a kind of a long waggon set with benches, carried us in four hours of travel to the great city of Rotterda past dark by then, but the streets were pretty brightly lighted and thronged ild-like, outlandish characters-bearded Hebrews, black men, and the hordes of courtesans,seamen by their very sleeves; the clash of talk about us made our heads to whirl; and as the most unexpected of all, we appeared to be no ners than they with us I made the best face I could, for the lass's sake and my own credit; but the truth is I felt like a lost sheep, and my heart beat in my bosom with anxiety Once or twice I inquired after the harbour or the berth of the shi+p Rose: but either fell on so a street at a venture, I caed auf-like painted women; these jostled and mocked upon us as we passed, and I was thankful we had nothing of their language A little after we issued forth upon an open place along the harbour
”We shall be doing now,” cries I, as soon as I spied masts ”Let us walk here by the harbour We are sure to lish, and at the best of it we ht upon that very shi+p”
We did the next best, as happened; for, about nine of the evening, who? He told us they had made their run in thetill they reached port; by which one already on their further travels It was ih Germany, and we had no other acquaintance to fall back upon but Captain Sang hi to find the man friendly and wishful to assist He ood plain faht harbour till the Rose was loaden; declared he would then blithely carry her back to Leith for nothing and see her safe in the hands of Mr Gregory; and in the meanwhile carried us to a late ordinary for the meal we stood in need of He seeood deal, rather boisterous in the bargain; and the cause of this was soon to appear For at the ordinary, calling for Rhenish wine and drinking of it deep, he soon became unutterably tipsy In this case, as too coh trade, what little sense or manners he possessed deserted hi lady, jesting ure she had made on the shi+p's rail, that I had no resource but carry her suddenly away
She ca to me close ”Take me away, David,” she said ”You keep me I am not afraid with you”
”And have no cause, my little friend!” cried I, and could have found it inain ”Don't leaveyou to?” says I stopping, for I had been staving on ahead in mere blindness ”I must stop and think But I'll not leave you, Catriona; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if I should fail or fash you”
She crept close into me by way of a reply
”Here,” I said, ”is the stillest place we have hit on yet in this busy byke of a city Let us sit down here under yon tree and consider of our course”
That tree (which I aet) stood hard by the harbour side It was like a black night, but lights were in the houses, and nearer hand in the quiet shi+ps; there was a shi+ning of the city on the one hand, and a buzz hung over it of ; on the other, it was dark and the water bubbled on the sides I spread my cloak upon a builder's stone, and made her sit there; she would have kept her hold upon me, for she still shook with the late affronts; but I wanted to think clear, disengaged myself, and paced to and fro before her, in thethoughts I was brought suddenly face to face with a remembrance that, in the heat and haste of our departure, I had left Captain Sang to pay the ordinary At this I began to laugh out loud, for I thought the man well served; and at the same time, by an instinctive movement, carried my hand to the pocket where my money was I suppose it was in the lane where the wo certain, that ood,” said she, observing me to pause
At the pinch ere in, lass, and I saw there was no choice of methods I had not one doit of coin, but in my pocket-book I had still my letter on the Leyden et to Leyden, and that was to walk on our two feet
”Catriona,” said I, ”I know you're brave and I believe you're strong-do you think you could walk thirty miles on a plain road?” We found it, I believe, scarce the two-thirds of that, but such was my notion of the distance
”David,” she said, ”if you will just keep near, I will go anywhere and do anything The courage ofme in this horrible country by myself, and I will do all else”
”Can you start now and ht?” said I
”I will do all that you can ask of rateful girl to you; and do what you please with me now! And I think Miss Barbara Grant is the best lady in the world,” she added, ”and I do not see what she would deny you for at all events”
This was Greek and Hebrew to me; but I had other et clear of that city on the Leyden road It proved a cruel probleht ere we had solved it Once beyond the houses, there was neither uide us; only the whiteness of the way in thewas besides made most extraordinary difficult by a plain black frost that fell suddenly in the s slide
”Well, Catriona,” said I, ”here we are like the king's sons and the old wives' daughters in your daft-like Highland tales Soon we'll be going over the 'seven Bens, the seven glens and the seven mountain moors'” Which was a common byword or overcome in those tales of hers that had stuck in lens orbut what the trees and some of the plain places hereabouts are very pretty But our country is the best yet”