m o' dochters, God bless her bonny een! His
lordship got up in a tirravee and ordered her to her room, wi' Annapla
for warder, till he should mak' arrangements for sending her to his
guid-sister's in the low country. Your comin' found us in a kin' o'
confusion, but ye might hac spared yersel' my trepannin' in the tolbooth
upstairs, and met her in a mair becomin' way at her faither's table if
it hadna been for Annapla."

"For Annapla?" repeated Montaiglon.

"Oh, ah! Annapla has the Gift, ye ken. Dae ye think I wad hae been sae
ceevil the ither nicht to her when she was yelping on the stair-heid
if it hadna been her repute for the Evil E'e? Ye may lauch, but I could
tell tales o' Annapla's capacity. The night afore ye cam' she yoked
himsel' on his jyling the lassie, though she's the last that wad thraw
him. 'Oh.' said he, 'ye're a' tarred wi' the ae stick: if ye connive
at his comin' here without my kennin', I'll gie him death wi' his boots
on!' It was in the Gaelic this, ye maun ken; Annapla gied me't efter.
'Boots here, boots there,' quo' she, 'love's the fine adventurer, and I
see by the _griosach_' (that's the fire-embers, ye ken; between the ash
o' a peat and the creesh o' a candle thae kin' o' witches can tell ye
things frae noo to Hogmanay)--' I see by the _griosach_,' says she,
'that this ane'll come wi' his bare feet.' It staggered him; oh, ay! it
staggered him a bit. 'Barefit or brogues,' said he, 'she'll see no man
from this till the day she gaes!' And he's the man to keep his word; but
it looks as though we might shuffle the pack noo and start a new game,
for the plans o' flittin' her to Dunbarton hae fallen through, I hear,
and he'll hae to produce her before ye leave."

"I'm in no hurry," said Count Victor, coolly twisting his moustache.

"What! To hae her produced?" said the little man, slyly.

"_Farceur!_ No, to leave."

"Indeed is that sae?" asked Mungo, in a quite new tone, and reddening.
"H'm! Ye may hae come barefit, but the ither ane has the preference."

"He has my sincere felicitations, I assure you," said Count Victor, "and
I can only hope he is worthy of the honour of Master Mungo's connivance
and the lady's devotion."

"Oh! _he's_ a' richt! It's only a whim o' Doom's that mak's him
discoontenance the fellow. I'll allow the gentleman has a name for
gallantry and debt, and a wheen mair genteel vices that's neither here
nor there, but he's a pretty lad. He's the man for my fancy--six feet
t