wanting the corner, and knotted it
about my throat. I could hear my heart go; and, Alan patting me on the
shoulder with some of his laughable expressions, I could scarce refrain
from a sharp word. But the time was not long to wait. I heard her step
pass overhead, and saw her on the stair. This she descended very
quietly, and greeted me with a pale face and a certain seeming of
earnestness, or uneasiness, in her manner that extremely dashed me.

"My father, James More, will be here soon. He will be very pleased to
see you," she said. And then of a sudden her face flamed, her eyes
lightened, the speech stopped upon her lips; and I made sure she had
observed the kerchief. It was only for a breath that she was
discomposed; but methought it was with a new animation that she turned
to welcome Alan. "And you will be his friend Alan Breck?" she cried.
"Many is the dozen times I will have heard him tell of you; and I love
you already for all your bravery and goodness."

"Well, well," says Alan, holding her hand in his and viewing her, "and
so this is the young lady at the last of it! David, you're an awful poor
hand of a description."

I do not know that ever I heard him speak so straight to people's
hearts; the sound of his voice was like song.

"What? will he have been describing me?" she cried.

"Little else of it since I ever came out of France!" says he, "forbye a
bit of a speciment one night in Scotland in a shaw of wood by
Silvermills. But cheer up, my dear! ye're bonnier than what he said. And
now there's one thing sure: you and me are to be a pair of friends. I'm
a kind of a henchman to Davie here; I'm like a tyke at his heels: and
whatever he cares for, I've got to care for too--and by the holy airn!
they've got to care for me! So now you can see what way you stand with
Alan Breck, and ye'll find ye'll hardly lose on the transaction. He's
no' very bonny, my dear, but he's leal to them he loves."

"I thank you with my heart for your good words," said she. "I have that
honour for a brave, honest man that I cannot find any to be answering
with."

Using travellers' freedom, we spared to wait for James More, and sat
down to meat, we threesome. Alan had Catriona sit by him and wait upon
his wants: he made her drink first out of his glass, he surrounded her
with continual kind gallantries, and yet never gave me the most small
occasion to be jealous; and he kept the talk so much in his own hand,
and that in so merry a