naturally on. Then it was
that they had my story from me, bit by bit, from the time that I left
Essendean, with my voyage and battle in the _Covenant_, wanderings in
the heather, etc.; and from the interest they found in my adventures
sprung the circumstance of a jaunt we made a little later on, on a day
when the courts were not sitting, and of which I will tell a trifle more
at length.

We took horse early, and passed first by the house of Shaws, where it
stood smokeless in a great field of white frost, for it was yet early in
the day. Here Prestongrange alighted down, gave me his horse, and
proceeded alone to visit my uncle. My heart, I remember, swelled up
bitter within me at the sight of that bare house and the thought of the
old miser sitting chittering within in the cold kitchen.

"There is my home," said I; "and my family."

"Poor David Balfour!" said Miss Grant.

What passed during the visit I have never heard; but it would doubtless
not be very agreeable to Ebenezer, for when the Advocate came forth
again his face was dark.

"I think you will soon be the laird indeed, Mr. Davie," says he, turning
half about with the one foot in the stirrup.

"I will never pretend sorrow," said I; and, to say the truth, during his
absence Miss Grant and I had been embellishing the place in fancy with
plantations, parterres, and a terrace--much as I have since carried out
in fact.

Thence we pushed to the Queen's Ferry, where Rankeillor gave us a good
welcome, being indeed out of the body to receive so great a visitor.
Here the Advocate was so unaffectedly good as to go quite fully over my
affairs, sitting perhaps two hours with the Writer in his study, and
expressing (I was told) a great esteem for myself and concern for my
fortunes. To while this time, Miss Grant and I and young Rankeillor took
boat and passed the Hope to Limekilns. Rankeillor made himself very
ridiculous (and, I thought, offensive) with his admiration for the young
lady, and to my wonder (only it is so common a weakness of her sex) she
seemed, if anything, to be a little gratified. One use it had: for when
we were come to the other side, she laid her commands on him to mind the
boat, while she and I passed a little farther to the alehouse. This was
her own thought, for she had been taken with my account of Alison
Hastie, and desired to see the lass herself. We found her once more
alone--indeed, I believe her father wrought all day in the fields--and