d amateurs have chosen the
play; and the play--don't laugh, dear Keith--is 'Romeo and Juliet!' And
I am to play _Juliet_ to the _Romeo_ of the Honorable Captain Brierley,
who is a very good-looking man, but who is so solemn and stiff a Romeo
that I know I shall burst out laughing on the dreaded night. He is as
nervous now at a morning rehearsal as if it were his _debut_ at Drury
Lane; and he never even takes my hand without an air of apology, as if
he were saying, 'Really, Miss White, you must pardon me; I am compelled
by my part to take your hand; otherwise I would die rather than be
guilty of such a liberty.' And when he addresses me in the
balcony-scene, he _will not_ look at me; he makes his protestations of
love to the flies; and when I make my fine speeches to him, he blushes
if his eyes should by chance meet mine, just as if he had been guilty of
some awful indiscretion. I know, dear Keith, you don't like to see me
act, but you might come up for this occasion only. Friar Lawrence is the
funniest thing I have seen for ages. The nurse, however, Lady Bletherin,
is not at all bad. I hear there is to be a grand supper afterwards
somewhere, and I have no doubt I shall be presented to a number of
ladies who will speak for the first time to an actress and be possessed
with a wild fear; only, if they have daughters, I suppose they will keep
the fluttering-hearted young things out of the way, lest I should
suddenly break out into blue flame, and then disappear through the
floor. I am quite convinced that Captain Brierley considers me a bold
person because I look at him when I have to say,

"'O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully!'"

Macleod crushed this letter together, and thrust it into his pocket. He
strode out of the room, and called for Hamish.

"Send Donald down to the quay," said he, "and tell them to get the boat
ready. And he will take down my gun too."

Old Hamish, noticing the expression of his master's eyes, went off
quickly enough, and soon got hold of Donald, the piper-lad.

"Donald," said he, in the Gaelic, "you will run down to the quay as fast
as your legs can carry you, and you will tell them to get the boat
ready, and not to lose any time in getting the boat ready, and to have
the seat dry, and let there be no talking when Sir Keith gets on board.
And here is the gun too, and the bag; and you will tell them to have no
talking among themselves this day."