wives' daughters in your daft-like Highland tales. Soon we'll be going
over the 'SEVEN BENS, THE SEVEN GLENS AND THE SEVEN MOUNTAIN MOORS'."

Which was a common byword or overcome in those tales of hers that had
stuck in my memory.

"Ah," says she, "but here are no glens or mountains! Though I will
never be denying but what the trees and some of the plain places

hereabouts are very pretty. But our country is the best yet."
"I wish we could say as much for our own folk," says I, recalling

Sprott and Sang, and perhaps James More himself.
"I will never complain of the country of my friend," said she, and

spoke it out with an accent so particular that I seemed to see the look
upon her face.

I caught in my breath sharp and came near falling (for my pains) on the
black ice.

"I do not know what YOU think, Catriona," said I, when I was a little
recovered, "but this has been the best day yet! I think shame to say

it, when you have met in with such misfortunes and disfavours; but for
me, it has been the best day yet."

"It was a good day when you showed me so much love," said she.
"And yet I think shame to be happy too," I went on, "and you here on

the road in the black night."
"Where in the great world would I be else?" she cried. "I am thinking

I am safest where I am with you."
"I am quite forgiven" target="_blank" title="forgive的过去分词">forgiven, then?" I asked.

"Will you not forgive me that time so much as not to take it in your
mouth again?" she cried. "There is nothing in this heart to you but

thanks. But I will be honest too," she added, with a kind of
suddenness, "and I'll never can forgive that girl."

"Is this Miss Grant again?" said I. "You said yourself she was the
best lady in the world."

"So she will be, indeed!" says Catriona. "But I will never forgive her
for all that. I will never, never forgive her, and let me hear tell of

her no more."
"Well," said I, "this beats all that ever came to my knowledge; and I

wonder that you can indulge yourself in such bairnly whims. Here is a
young lady that was the best friend in the world to the both of us,

that learned us how to dress ourselves, and in a great manner how to
behave, as anyone can see that knew us both before and after."

But Catriona stopped square in the midst of the highway.
"It is this way of it," said she. "Either you will go on to speak of

her, and I will go back to yon town, and let come of it what God
pleases! Or else you will do me that politeness to talk of other

things."
I was the most nonplussed person in this world; but I bethought me that

she depended altogether on my help, that she was of the frail sex and
not so much beyond a child, and it was for me to be wise for the pair

of us.
"My dear girl," said I, "I can make neither head nor tails of this; but

God forbid that I should do anything to set you on the jee. As for
talking of Miss Grant, I have no such a mind to it, and I believe it

was yourself began it. My only design (if I took you up at all) was
for your own improvement, for I hate the very look of injustice. Not

that I do not wish you to have a good pride and a nice femaledelicacy;
they become you well; but here you show them to excess."

"Well, then, have you done?" said she.
"I have done," said I.

"A very good thing," said she, and we went on again, but now in
silence.

It was an eerie employment to walk in the gross night, beholding only
shadows and hearingnought but our own steps. At first, I believe our

hearts burned against each other with a deal of enmity; but the
darkness and the cold, and the silence, which only the cocks sometimes

interrupted, or sometimes the farmyard dogs, had pretty soon brought
down our pride to the dust; and for my own particular, I would have

jumped at any decentopening for speech.
Before the day peeped, came on a warmish rain, and the frost was all

wiped away from among our feet. I took my cloak to her and sought to
hap her in the same; she bade me, rather impatiently, to keep it.

"Indeed and I will do no such thing," said I. "Here am I, a great,
ugly lad that has seen all kinds of weather, and here are you a tender,

pretty maid! My dear, you would not put me to a shame?"
Without more words she let me cover her; which as I was doing in the

darkness, I let my hand rest a moment on her shoulder, almost like an
embrace.

"You must try to be more patient of your friend," said I.
I thought she seemed to lean the least thing in the world against my

bosom, or perhaps it was but fancy.
"There will be no end to your goodness," said she.

And we went on again in silence; but now all was changed; and the
happiness that was in my heart was like a fire in a great chimney.

The rain passed ere day; it was but a sloppy morning as we came into
the town of Delft. The red gabled houses made a handsome show on

either hand of a canal; the servant lassies were out slestering and
scrubbing at the very stones upon the public highway; smoke rose from a

hundred kitchens; and it came in upon me strongly it was time to break
our fasts.

"Catriona," said I, "I believe you have yet a shilling and three
baubees?"

"Are you wanting it?" said she, and passed me her purse. "I am wishing
it was five pounds! What will you want it for?"

"And what have we been walking for all night, like a pair of waif
Egyptians!" says I. "Just because I was robbed of my purse and all I

possessed in that unchancy town of Rotterdam. I will tell you of it
now, because I think the worst is over, but we have still a good tramp

before us till we get to where my money is, and if you would not buy me
a piece of bread, I were like to go fasting."

She looked at me with open eyes. By the light of the new day she was
all black and pale for weariness, so that my heart smote me for her.

But as for her, she broke out laughing.
"My torture! are we beggars then!" she cried. "You too? O, I could

have wished for this same thing! And I am glad to buy your breakfast
to you. But it would be pleisand if I would have had to dance to get a

meal to you! For I believe they are not very well acquainted with our
manner of dancing over here, and might be paying for the curiosity of

that sight."
I could have kissed her for that word, not with a lover's mind, but in

a heat of admiration. For it always warms a man to see a woman brave.
We got a drink of milk from a country wife but new come to the town,

and in a baker's, a piece of excellent, hot, sweet-smelling bread,
which we ate upon the road as we went on. That road from Delft to the

Hague is just five miles of a fine avenue shaded with trees, a canal on
the one hand, on the other excellent pastures of cattle. It was

pleasant here indeed.
"And now, Davie," said she, "what will you do with me at all events?"

"It is what we have to speak of," said I, "and the sooner yet the
better. I can come by money in Leyden; that will be all well. But the

trouble is how to dispose of you until your father come. I thought
last night you seemed a little sweir to part from me?"

"It will be more than seeming then," said she.
"You are a very young maid," said I, "and I am but a very young

callant. This is a great piece of difficulty. What way are we to
manage? Unless indeed, you could pass to be my sister?"

"And what for no?" said she, "if you would let me!"
"I wish you were so, indeed," I cried. "I would be a fine man if I had

such a sister. But the rub is that you are Catriona Drummond."