poke only
Hollands, or my own French failed me. Trying a street at a venture, I
came upon a lane of lighted houses, the doors and windows thronged with
wauf-like painted women; these jostled and mocked upon us as we passed,
and I was thankful we had nothing of their language. A little after we
issued forth upon an open place along the harbour.

"We shall be doing now," cries I, as soon as I spied masts. "Let us walk
here by the harbour. We are sure to meet some that has the English, and
at the best of it we may light upon that very ship."

We did the next best, as happened; for about nine of the evening, whom
should we walk into the arms of but Captain Sang? He told us they had
made their run in the most incredible brief time, the wind holding
strong until they reached port; by which means his passengers were all
gone already on their further travels. It was impossible to chase after
the Gebbies into High Germany, and we had no other acquaintance to fall
back upon but Captain Sang himself. It was the more gratifying to find
the man friendly and wishful to assist. He made it a small affair to
find some good plain family of merchants, where Catriona might harbour
till the _Rose_ was loaden; declared he would then blithely carry her
back to Leith for nothing and see her safe in the hands of Mr. Gregory;
and in the meanwhile carried us to a late ordinary for the meal we stood
in need of. He seemed extremely friendly, as I say, but what surprised
me a good deal, rather boisterous in the bargain; and the cause of this
was soon to appear. For at the ordinary, calling for Rhenish wine and
drinking of it deep, he soon became unutterably tipsy. In, this case, as
too common with all men, but especially with those of his rough trade,
what little sense or manners he possessed deserted him; and he behaved
himself so scandalous to the young lady, jesting most ill-favoredly at
the figure she had made on the ship's rail, that I had no resource but
carry her suddenly away.

She came out of that ordinary clinging to me close. "Take me away,
David," she said. "_You_ keep me. I am not afraid with you."

"And have no cause, my little friend!" cried I, and could have found it
in my heart to weep.

"Where will you be taking me?" she said again. "Don't leave me at all
events, never leave me."

"Where am I taking you indeed?" says I stopping, for I had been staving
on ahead in mere blindness. "I must stop and think. But I'll not leave
you