heeks with
excitement, 'you must be wrong, or the young mistress would herself have
known it.'

I was greatly pleased with my mother, for calling Lorna 'the young
mistress'; it was not done for the sake of her diamonds, whether they
were glass or not; but because she felt as I had done, that Tom Faggus,
a man of no birth whatever, was speaking beyond his mark, in calling a
lady like Lorna a helpless child; as well as in his general tone, which
displayed no deference. He might have been used to the quality, in the
way of stopping their coaches, or roystering at hotels with them; but he
never had met a high lady before, in equality, and upon virtue; and we
both felt that he ought to have known it, and to have thanked us for the
opportunity, in a word, to have behaved a great deal more humbly than he
had even tried to do.

'Trust me,' answered Tom, in his loftiest manner, which Annie said
was 'so noble,' but which seemed to me rather flashy, 'trust me, good
mother, and simple John, for knowing brilliants, when I see them. I
would have stopped an eight-horse coach, with four carabined out-riders,
for such a booty as that. But alas, those days are over; those were days
worth living in. Ah, I never shall know the like again. How fine it was
by moonlight!'

'Master Faggus,' began my mother, with a manner of some dignity, such
as she could sometimes use, by right of her integrity, and thorough
kindness to every one, 'this is not the tone in which you have hitherto
spoken to me about your former pursuits and life, I fear that the
spirits'--but here she stopped, because the spirits were her own, and
Tom was our visitor,--'what I mean, Master Faggus, is this: you have
won my daughter's heart somehow; and you won my consent to the matter
through your honest sorrow, and manly undertaking to lead a different
life, and touch no property but your own. Annie is my eldest daughter,
and the child of a most upright man. I love her best of all on earth,
next to my boy John here'--here mother gave me a mighty squeeze, to be
sure that she would have me at least--'and I will not risk my Annie's
life with a man who yearns for the highway.'

Having made this very long speech (for her), mother came home upon my
shoulder, and wept so that (but for heeding her) I would have taken Tom
by the nose, and thrown him, and Winnie after him, over our farm-yard
gate. For I am violent when roused; and freely hereby acknowledge it;
though even my enemies