he cried, speaking high through her
nose. "I cannot bar it. The males of my house are dead and buried; I
have neither son nor husband to stand in the gate for me; any beggar can
pluck me by the baird[18]--and a baird there is, and that's the worst of
it yet!" she added, partly to herself.

I was extremely put out at this reception, and the last remark, which
seemed like a daft wife's, left me near hand speechless.

"I see I have fallen under your displeasure, ma'am," said I. "Yet I will
still be so bold as ask after Mistress Drummond."

She considered me with a burning eye, her lips pressed close together
into twenty creases, her hand shaking on her staff. "This cows all!" she
cried. "Ye come to me to spier for her! Would God I knew!"

"She is not here?" I cried.

She threw up her chin and made a step and a cry at me, so that I fell
back incontinent.

"Out upon your leeing throat!" she cried. "What! ye come and spier at
me! She's in jyle, whaur ye took her to--that's all there is to it. And
of a' the beings ever I beheld in breeks, to think it should be you! Ye
timmer scoun'rel, if I had a male left to my name I would have your
jaicket dustit till ye raired."

I thought it not good to delay longer in that place because I remarked
her passion to be rising. As I turned to the horse-post she even
followed me; and I make no shame to confess that I rode away with the
one stirrup on and scrambling for the other.

As I knew no other quarter where I could push my inquiries, there was
nothing left me but to return to the Advocate's. I was well received by
the four ladies, who were now in company together, and must give the
news of Prestongrange and what word went in the west country, at the
most inordinate length and with great weariness to myself; while all the
time that young lady, with whom I so much desired to be alone again,
observed me quizzically and seemed to find pleasure in the sight of my
impatience. At last, after I had endured a meal with them, and was come
very near the point of appealing for an interview before her aunt, she
went and stood by the music case, and picking out a tune, sang to it on
a high key--"He that will not when he may, When he will he shall have
nay." But this was the end of her rigours, and presently, after making
some excuse of which I have no mind, she carried me away in private to
her father's library. I should not fail to say that she was dressed to
the nines, and appeared extraord