ed, if it had not been for the sake of the horse, I would
rather have lain in a barn than on the best of feather-beds in the house
of such a cruel woman.

We were now, after our long day's journey, five miles from the inn at
Blair, whither we, at first, thought of returning; but finally resolved
to go to a public-house which we had seen in a village we passed through,
about a mile above the ferry over the Tummel, having come from that point
to Blair, for the sake of the Pass of Killicrankie and Blair itself, and
had now the same road to measure back again. We were obliged to leave
the Pass of Killicrankie unseen; but this disturbed us little at a time
when we had seven miles to travel in the dark, with a poor beast almost
sinking with fatigue, for he had not rested once all day. We went on
spiritless, and at a dreary pace. Passed by one house which we were half
inclined to go up to and ask for a night's lodging; and soon after, being
greeted by a gentle voice from a poor woman, whom, till she spoke, though
we were close to her, we had not seen, we stopped, and asked if she could
tell us where we might stay all night, and put up our horse. She
mentioned the public-house left behind, and we told our tale, and asked
her if she had no house to which she could take us. 'Yes, to be sure she
had a house, but it was only a small cottage;' and she had no place for
the horse, and how we could lodge in her house she could not tell; but we
should be welcome to whatever she had, so we turned the car, and she
walked by the side of it, talking to us in a tone of human kindness which
made us friends at once.

I remember thinking to myself, as I have often done in a stage-coach,
though never with half the reason to prejudge favourably, What sort of
countenance and figure shall we see in this woman when we come into the
light? And indeed it was an interesting moment when, after we had
entered her house, she blew the embers on the hearth, and lighted a
candle to assist us in taking the luggage out of the car. Her husband
presently arrived, and he and William took the horse to the public-house.
The poor woman hung the kettle over the fire. We had tea and sugar of
our own, and she set before us barley cakes, and milk which she had just
brought in; I recollect she said she 'had been west to fetch it.' The
Highlanders always direct you by east and west, north and south--very
confusing to strangers. She told us that it was her busine