deadly peril. I wish you would keep my name in mind for the sake of
Balwhidder," said I, "and I will yours for the sake of my lucky day."

"My name is not spoken," she replied, with a great deal of haughtiness.
"More than a hundred years it has not gone upon men's tongues, save for

a blink. I am nameless, like the Folk of Peace. Catriona Drummond is
the one I use."

Now indeed I knew where I was standing. In all broad Scotland there
was but the one name proscribed, and that was the name of the

Macgregors. Yet so far from fleeing this undesirable acquaintancy, I
plunged the deeper in.

"I have been sitting with one who was in the same case with yourself,"
said I, "and I think he will be one of your friends. They called him

Robin Oig."
"Did ye so?" cries she. "Ye met Rob?"

"I passed the night with him," said I.
"He is a fowl of the night," said she.

"There was a set of pipes there," I went on, "so you may judge if the
time passed."

"You should be no enemy, at all events," said she. "That was his
brother there a moment since, with the red soldiers round him. It is

him that I call father."
"Is it so?" cried I. "Are you a daughter of James More's?"

"All the daughter that he has," says she: "the daughter of a prisoner;
that I should forget it so, even for one hour, to talk with strangers!"

Here one of the gillies addressed her in what he had of English, to
know what "she" (meaning by that himself) was to do about "ta

sneeshin." I took some note of him for a short, bandy-legged, red-
haired, big-headed man, that I was to know more of to my cost.

"There can be none the day, Neil," she replied. "How will you get
'sneeshin,' wanting siller! It will teach you another time to be more

careful; and I think James More will not be very well pleased with Neil
of the Tom."

"Miss Drummond," I said, "I told you I was in my lucky day. Here I am,
and a bank-porter at my tail. And remember I have had the hospitality

of your own country of Balwhidder."
"It was not one of my people gave it," said she.

"Ah, well." said I, "but I am owing your uncle at least for some
springs upon the pipes. Besides which, I have offered myself to be

your friend, and you have been so forgetful that you did not refuse me
in the proper time."

"If it had been a great sum, it might have done you honour," said she;
"but I will tell you what this is. James More lies shackled in prison;

but this time past they will be bringing him down here daily to the
Advocate's. . . ."

"The Advocate's!" I cried. "Is that . . . ?"
"It is the house of the Lord Advocate Grant of Prestongrange," said

she. "There they bring my father one time and another, for what
purpose I have no thought in my mind; but it seems there is some hope

dawned for him. All this same time they will not let me be seeing him,
nor yet him write; and we wait upon the King's street to catch him; and

now we give him his snuff as he goes by, and now something else. And
here is this son of trouble, Neil, son of Duncan, has lost my four-

penny piece that was to buy that snuff, and James More must go wanting,
and will think his daughter has forgotten him."

I took sixpence from my pocket, gave it to Neil, and bade him go about
his errand. Then to her, "That sixpence came with me by Balwhidder,"

said I.
"Ah!" she said, "you are a friend to the Gregara!"

"I would not like to deceive you, either," said I. "I know very little
of the Gregara and less of James More and his doings, but since the

while I have been standing in this close, I seem to know something of
yourself; and if you will just say 'a friend to Miss Catriona' I will

see you are the less cheated."
"The one cannot be without the other," said she.

"I will even try," said I.
"And what will you be thinking of myself!" she cried, "to be holding my

hand to the first stranger!"
"I am thinking nothing but that you are a good daughter," said I.

"I must not be without repaying it," she said; "where is it you stop!"
"To tell the truth, I am stopping nowhere yet," said I, "being not full

three hours in the city; but if you will give me your direction, I will
he no bold as come seeking my sixpence for myself."

"Will I can trust you for that?" she asked.
"You need have little fear," said I.

"James More could not bear it else," said she. "I stop beyond the
village of Dean, on the north side of the water, with Mrs. Drummond-

Ogilvy of Allardyce, who is my near friend and will be glad to thank
you."

"You are to see me, then, so soon as what I have to do permits," said
I; and, the remembrance of Alan rolling in again upon my mind, I made

haste to say farewell.
I could not but think, even as I did so, that we had made extraordinary

free upon short acquaintance, and that a really wise young lady would
have shown herself more backward. I think it was the bank-porter that

put me from this ungallant train of thought.
"I thoucht ye had been a lad of some kind o' sense," he began, shooting

out his lips. "Ye're no likely to gang far this gate. A fule and his
siller's shune parted. Eh, but ye're a green callant!" he cried, "an'

a veecious, tae! Cleikin' up wi' baubeejoes!"
"If you dare to speak of the young lady. . . " I began.

"Leddy!" he cried. "Haud us and safe us, whatten leddy? Ca' THON a
leddy? The toun's fu' o' them. Leddies! Man, its weel seen ye're no

very acquant in Embro!"
A clap of anger took me.

"Here," said I, "lead me where I told you, and keep your foul mouth
shut!"

He did not wholly obey me, for, though he no more addressed me
directly, he very impudent sang at me as he went in a manner of

innuendo, and with an exceedingly ill voice and ear -
"As Mally Lee cam doun the street, her capuchin did flee,

She cuist a look ahint her to see her negligee.
And we're a' gaun east and wast, we're a' gann ajee,

We're a' gaun east and wast courtin' Mally Lee."
CHAPTER II - THE HIGHLAND WRITER

MR. CHARLES STEWART the Writer dwelt at the top of the longest stair
ever mason set a hand to; fifteen flights of it, no less; and when I

had come to his door, and a clerk had opened it, and told me his master
was within, I had scarcebreath enough to send my porter packing.

"Awa' east and west wi' ye!" said I, took the money bag out of his
hands, and followed the clerk in.

The outer room was an office with the clerk's chair at a table spread
with law papers. In the inner chamber, which opened from it, a little

brisk man sat poring on a deed, from which he scarce raised his eyes on
my entrance; indeed, he still kept his finger in the place, as though

prepared to show me out and fall again to his studies. This pleased me
little enough; and what pleased me less, I thought the clerk was in a

good posture to overhear what should pass between us.
I asked if he was Mr. Charles Stewart the Writer.

"The same," says he; "and, if the question is equally fair, who may you
be yourself?"

"You never heard tell of my name nor of me either," said I, "but I
bring you a token from a friend that you know well. That you know

well," I repeated, lowering my voice, "but maybe are not just so keen
to hear from at this present being. And the bits of business that I

have to propone to you are rather in the nature of being confidential.
In short, I would like to think we were quite private."

He rose without more words, casting down his paper like a man ill-
pleased, sent forth his clerk of an errand, and shut to the house-door

behind him.
"Now, sir," said he, returning, "speak out your mind and fear nothing;

though before you begin," he cries out, "I tell you mine misgives me!
I tell you beforehand, ye're either a Stewart or a Stewart sent ye. A

good name it is, and one it would ill-become my father's son to
lightly. But I begin to grue at the sound of it."

"My name is called Balfour," said I, "David Balfour of Shaws. As for
him that sent me, I will let his token speak." And I showed the silver

button.
"Put it in your pocket, sir!" cries he. "Ye need name no names. The

deevil's buckie, I ken the button of him! And de'il hae't! Where is
he now!"

I told him I knew not where Alan was, but he had some sure place (or
thought he had) about the north side, where he was to lie until a ship

was found for him; and how and where he had appointed to be spoken
with.

"It's been always my opinion that I would hang in a tow for this family
of mine," he cried, "and, dod! I believe the day's come now! Get a

ship for him, quot' he! And who's to pay for it? The man's daft!"
"That is my part of the affair, Mr. Stewart," said I. "Here is a bag

of good money, and if more be wanted, more is to be had where it came
from."

"I needn't ask your politics," said he.
"Ye need not," said I, smiling, "for I'm as big a Whig as grows."

"Stop a bit, stop a bit," says Mr. Stewart. "What's all this? A Whig?
Then why are you here with Alan's button? and what kind of a black-foot

traffic is this that I find ye out in, Mr. Whig? Here is a forfeited
rebel and an accused murderer, with two hundred pounds on his life, and

ye ask me to meddle in his business, and then tell me ye're a Whig! I
have no mind of any such Whigs before, though I've kent plenty of

them."
"He's a forfeited rebel, the more's the pity," said I, "for the man's

my friend. I can only wish he had been better guided. And an accused
murderer, that he is too, for his misfortune; but wrongfully accused."

"I hear you say so," said Stewart.
"More than you are to hear me say so, before long," said I. "Alan

Breck is innocent, and so is James."
"Oh!" says he, "the two cases hang together. If Alan is out, James can

never be in."
Hereupon I told him briefly of my acquaintance with Alan, of the

accident that brought me present at the Appin murder, and the various
passages of our escape among the heather, and my recovery of my estate.

"So, sir, you have now the whole train of these events," I went on,
"and can see for yourself how I come to be so much mingled up with the

affairs of your family and friends, which (for all of our sakes) I wish
had been plainer and less bloody. You can see for yourself, too, that

I have certain pieces of business depending, which were scarcely fit to
lay before a lawyer chosen at random. No more remains, but to ask if

you will undertake my service?"
"I have no great mind to it; but coming as you do with Alan's button,

the choice is scarcely left me," said he. "What are your
instructions?" he added, and took up his pen.

"The first point is to smuggle Alan forth of this country," said I,
"but I need not be repeating that."

"I am little likely to forget it," said Stewart.
"The next thing is the bit money I am owing to Cluny," I went on. "It

would be ill for me to find a conveyance, but that should be no stick
to you. It was two pounds five shillings and three-halfpence farthing

sterling."
He noted it.

"Then," said I, "there's a Mr. Henderland, a licensed preacher and
missionary in Ardgour, that I would like well to get some snuff into

the hands of; and, as I daresay you keep touch with your friends in
Appin (so near by), it's a job you could doubtlessovertake with the

other."
"How much snuff are we to say?" he asked.

"I was thinking of two pounds," said I.
"Two," said he.

"Then there's the lass Alison Hastie, in Lime Kilns," said I. "Her
that helped Alan and me across the Forth. I was thinking if I could

get her a good Sunday gown, such as she could wear with decency in her
degree, it would be an ease to my conscience; for the mere truth is, we

owe her our two lives."

• deadly [´dedli] a.致命的 ad.死一般地 (初中英语单词)
• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
• advocate [´ædvəkit] n.辩护者 (初中英语单词)
• errand [´erənd] n.差使，使命 (初中英语单词)
• deceive [di´si:v] vt.欺骗，欺诈 (初中英语单词)
• doings [´du:iŋz] n.行动；所作的事 (初中英语单词)
• acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)
• backward [´bækwəd] ad.向后 a.向后的 (初中英语单词)
• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)
• writer [´raitə] n.作者；作家 (初中英语单词)
• scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)
• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
• equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)
• button [´bʌtn] n.钮扣 vt.扣上(扣子) (初中英语单词)
• innocent [´inəsənt] a.无罪的；单纯的 (初中英语单词)
• briefly [´bri:fli] ad.简短地；简略地 (初中英语单词)
• bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)
• lawyer [´lɔ:jə] n.律师；法学家 (初中英语单词)
• undertake [,ʌndə´teik] vt.从事；承担；担保 (初中英语单词)
• doubtless [´dautlis] ad.无疑地；大概，多半 (初中英语单词)
• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)
• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
• nowhere [´nəuweə] n.无处；不知道 (高中英语单词)
• remembrance [ri´membrəns] n.记忆(力)；回忆 (高中英语单词)
• exceedingly [ik´si:diŋli] ad.非常地，极度地 (高中英语单词)
• highland [´hailənd] n.山地，高地 (高中英语单词)
• porter [´pɔ:tə] n.守门人；勤杂工人 (高中英语单词)
• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)
• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
• murderer [´mə:dərə] n.杀人犯，凶手 (高中英语单词)
• meddle [´medl] vi.干涉(预)；乱弄 (高中英语单词)
• misfortune [mis´fɔ:tʃən] n.不幸；灾祸 (高中英语单词)
• recovery [ri´kʌvəri] n.重获；获得；恢复 (高中英语单词)
• random [´rændəm] n.偶然的行动 (高中英语单词)
• preacher [´pri:tʃə] n.讲道者，传教士 (高中英语单词)
• overtake [,əuvə´teik] vt.追上；赶上 (高中英语单词)
• sixpence [´sikspəns] n.六便士(硬币) (英语四级单词)
• overhear [,əuvə´hiə] vt.偶然听到；偷听 (英语四级单词)
• beforehand [bi´fɔ:hænd] ad.事先；提前 (英语四级单词)
• conveyance [kən´veiəns] n.运送；传达；传播 (英语四级单词)
• nameless [´neimlis] a.无名字的；无名声的 (英语六级单词)
• undesirable [,ʌndi´zaiərəbəl] a.&n.不受欢迎的(人) (英语六级单词)
• wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)
• holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
• posture [´pɔstʃə] n.姿势 v.故作姿态 (英语六级单词)
• heather [´heðə] n.石南属植物 (英语六级单词)
• smuggle [´smʌg(ə)l] v.走私；偷偷拿出(进) (英语六级单词)
• decency [´di:sənsi] n.正派；体面 (英语六级单词)