deal
broader indeed than I have written it down; and I was the more ashamed
when another voice joined in behind me with a scrap of a ballad:

"Gae saddle me the bonny black,
Gae saddle sune and mak' him ready,
For I will down the Gatehope-slack,
And a' to see my bonny leddy."

The young lady, when I turned to her, stood in a morning gown, and her
hands muffled in the same, as if to hold me at a distance. Yet I could
not but think there was kindness in the eye with which she saw me.

"My best respects to you, Mistress Grant," said I bowing.

"The like to yourself, Mr. David," she replied, with a deep courtesy,
"And I beg to remind you of an old musty saw, that meat and mass never
hindered man. The mass I cannot afford you, for we are all good
Protestants. But the meat I press on your attention. And I would not
wonder but I could find something for your private ear that would be
worth the stopping for."

"Mistress Grant," said I, "I believe I am already your debtor for some
merry words--and I think they were kind too--on a piece of unsigned
paper."

"Unsigned paper?" says she, and made a droll face, which was likewise
wondrous beautiful, as of one trying to remember.

"Or else I am the more deceived," I went on. "But to be sure, we shall
have the time to speak of these, since your father is so good as to make
me for a while your inmate; and the _gomeral_ begs you at this time only
for the favour of his liberty."

"You give yourself hard names," said she.

"Mr. Doig and I would be blythe to take harder at your clever pen," says
I.

"Once more I have to admire the discretion of all men-folk," she
replied. "But if you will not eat, off with you at once; you will be
back the sooner, for you go on a fool's errand. Off with you, Mr.
David," she continued, opening the door.

"He has lowpen on his bonny grey,
He rade the richt gate and the ready;
I trow he would neither stint nor stay,
Far he was seeking his bonny leddy."

I did not wait to be twice bidden, and did justice to Miss Grant's
citation on the way to Dean.

Old Lady Allardyce walked there alone in the garden, in her hat and
mutch, and having a silver-mounted staff of some black wood to lean
upon. As I alighted from my horse, and drew near to her with _congees_,
I could see the blood come in her face, and her head fling into the air
like what I had conceived of empresses.

"What brings you to my poor door?" s