of man, and believed that to
employ them against the French was a sort of holy warfare.

"What would I give," said he apart to Oldbuck, as they rose to join the
ladies in the drawing-room, "what would I give to have a son of such
spirit as that young gentleman!--He wants something of address and
manner, something of polish, which mixing in good society would soon
give him; but with what zeal and animation he expresses himself--how
fond of his profession--how loud in the praise of others--how modest when
speaking of himself!"

"Hector is much obliged to you, my lord," replied his uncle, gratified,
yet not so much so as to suppress his consciousness of his own mental
superiority over the young soldier; "I believe in my heart nobody ever
spoke half so much good of him before, except perhaps the sergeant of
his company, when was wheedling a Highland recruit to enlist with him.
He is a good lad notwithstanding, although he be not quite the hero your
lordship supposes him, and although my commendations rather attest the
kindness than the vivacity of his character. In fact, his high spirit is
a sort of constitutional vehemence, which attends him in everything he
sets about, and is often very inconvenient to his friends. I saw him
to-day engage in an animated contest with a phoca, or seal (sealgh, our
people more properly call them, retaining the Gothic guttural gh), with
as much vehemence as if he had fought against Dumourier--Marry, my lord,
the phoca had the better, as the said Dumourier had of some other folks.
And he'll talk with equal if not superior rapture of the good behaviour
of a pointer bitch, as of the plan of a campaign."

"He shall have full permission to sport over my grounds," said the Earl,
"if he is so fond of that exercise."

"You will bind him to you, my lord," said Monkbarns, "body and soul:
give him leave to crack off his birding-piece at a poor covey of
partridges or moor-fowl, and he's yours for ever--I will enchant him by
the intelligence. But O, my lord, that you could have seen my phoenix
Lovel!--the very prince and chieftain of the youth of this age; and not
destitute of spirit neither--I promise you he gave my termagant kinsman
a quid pro quo--a Rowland for his Oliver, as the vulgar say, alluding to
the two celebrated Paladins of Charlemagne."

After coffee, Lord Glenallan requested a private interview with the
Antiquary, and was ushered to his library.

"I must withdraw you from your own am