th
the battered vehicle and broken-winded hacks which had brought thither
the Antiquary and his followers. The principal seat of the carriage
was occupied by Sir Arthur and his daughter. At the first glance which
passed betwixt Miss Wardour and Lovel, her colour rose considerably;--but
she had apparently made up her mind to receive him as a friend, and only
as such, and there was equal composure and courtesy in the mode of her
reply to his fluttered salutation. Sir Arthur halted the barouche to
shake his preserver kindly by the hand, and intimate the pleasure he had
on this opportunity of returning him his personal thanks; then mentioned
to him, in a tone of slight introduction, "Mr. Dousterswivel, Mr.
Lovel."

Lovel took the necessary notice of the German adept, who occupied the
front seat of the carriage, which is usually conferred upon dependants
or inferiors. The ready grin and supple inclination with which his
salutation, though slight, was answered by the foreigner, increased the
internal dislike which Lovel had already conceived towards him; and it
was plain, from the lower of the Antiquary's shaggy eye-brow, that he
too looked with displeasure on this addition to the company. Little
more than distant greeting passed among the members of the party, until,
having rolled on for about three miles beyond the place at which
they met, the carriages at length stopped at the sign of the Four
Horse-shoes, a small hedge inn, where Caxon humbly opened the door, and
let down the step of the hack-chaise, while the inmates of the barouche
were, by their more courtly attendants, assisted to leave their
equipage.

Here renewed greetings passed: the young ladies shook hands; and
Oldbuck, completely in his element, placed himself as guide and cicerone
at the head of the party, who were now to advance on foot towards the
object of their curiosity. He took care to detain Lovel close beside him
as the best listener of the party, and occasionally glanced a word
of explanation and instruction to Miss Wardour and Mary M'Intyre, who
followed next in order. The Baronet and the clergyman he rather avoided,
as he was aware both of them conceived they understood such matters as
well, or better than he did; and Dousterswivel, besides that he looked
on him as a charlatan, was so nearly connected with his apprehended loss
in the stock of the mining company, that he could not abide the sight
of him. These two latter satellites, therefore, atte