, are ye?'"

"There's a deal of philosophy in that," cried Hamilton. "I must have a
copy."

And it was from his paper that I got the lines as I set them above.

CHAPTER XVIII

I GO DOWN TO MAUCHLINE

Of all this rhyming gaiety, it will be remembered, I had no knowledge
at the time, being still at Alton, chafing under the business in hand,
and awaiting each post, as the days went by, with a beating heart and
the expectancy of some unworded trouble.

The twelfth day passing without news, I cut the end of my business off
altogether, and started for Stair, it being my thought that Nancy's
visiting would be ended and that I should find her there awaiting my
return. The home-coming was a dreary one, the house darkened and
unsociably redd up, and I sat alone to a dinner, served me by Huey, in
a depth of gloom and melancholy which he had never reached before,
debating whether to write to Mauchline or to go down myself the
following morning.

While turning the matter over in my mind, Mr. Francis Hastings's name
was brought in to me, and the humor of the situation struck me with
some force, for here was a girl partially engaged to two men, off
visiting a third, with a fourth clamoring at the door to be her
husband.

"Come in," I cried heartily to the large-faced young man when he
appeared at the doorway. "I'm glad to see ye, Mr. Hastings. Will ye
have a glass with me?" and I pushed the decanter toward him.

"You doubtless know my errand, Lord Stair," he said, refusing the
brandy by a shake of the head. "You had my letter?"

"Some time since, but I put off answering it, thinking--" I hesitated;
the truth being that the matter had passed clean from my mind after
reading the epistle--"thinking a talk would be better."

"Have you any objections to me?" he asked, coming straight to the
point.

I had a great many, but it was scarce possible to name them under the
circumstances, and I shuffled a bit.

"To be frank," said I, "there are obstacles."

"What are they?" he asked, and the conceit in his tone conveyed the
thought that for the honor of an alliance with him obstacles should be
overcome.

"Well," said I, "there's Mr. Danvers Carmichael, who is perhaps the
chief one; and his Grace of Borthwicke, another; and Duncan of
Monteith, and McMurtree of Ainswere--and others whose names I could set
before you."

"And does she love any of these?" he asked.

"She has not taken me into her confidence," I answered