t I
had at the time quite a strong crop of hair upon both my chin and upper
lip.

Claverhouse waved me behind him with the graceful and haughty gesture,
which they say he constantly used even to the Secretary in Council, when
he was hot with him in the matter of the house and lands of Dudhope.

Meekly enough I trudged behind the great commander of horse, and looked
with much curiosity and some awe both upon him and on his famous steed
"Boscobel," which was supposed by the more ignorant of the peasantry to
be the foul fiend in his proper person.

So in this manner we came to the house. The lights were just beginning
to shine, for Alisoun Begbie, the maid of the table, was just arranging
the candles. At the doorway the master of the house met his guest,
having been drawn from his library by the feet of the charger clattering
upon the pavement of the yard.

"Ah, John," he said, "this is right gracious of you, in the midst of
your fighting and riding, to journey over to cheer an old hulk like me!"

And he reached him a hand to the saddle, which Claverhouse took without
a word. But I saw a look of liking, which was almost tender, in the
war-captain's eyes as I passed round by the further door into the
kitchen.

Here I was roughly handled by the cook--who, of course, had not been
informed of my personality, and who exercised upon me both the length of
her tongue and the very considerable agility thereof.

But Alisoun Begbie, who was, as I say, principal waiting-maid, rescued
me and in pity took me under her protection; though with no suspicion of
my quality, but only from a maidish and natural liking for a young and
unmarried man. She offered very kindly to show me all my duties, and,
indeed, I had been in a sorry pass that night without her help.

So when it came to the hour of supper, it was with some show of grace
that I was enabled to wait at table, and take my part in the management
of the dishes thereupon. Alisoun kept me mostly in the back of her
serving pantry, and gave me only the dishes which were easy to be
served, looking kindly on me with her eyes all the while and shyly
touching my hand when occasion served, which I thought it not politic to
refuse. For all this I was mightily thankful, because I had very small
desire to draw upon me the cold blue eyes of John Graham--to whom, in
spite of my crop head and serving-man's attire, there might arrive a
memory of the side of green Garryhorn and the interrupte