birds calling there, and the brave streams of
water running down, I would scarce think shame to weep before my
enemies." Then he would sing again, and translate to me pieces of the
song, with a great deal of boggling and much expressed contempt against
the English language. "It says here," he would say, "that the sun is
gone down, and the battle is at an end, and the brave chiefs are
defeated. And it tells here how the stars see them fleeing into strange
countries or lying dead on the red mountain; and they will never more
shout the call of battle or wash their feet in the streams of the
valley. But if you had only some of this language, you would weep also
because the words of it are beyond all expression, and it is mere
mockery to tell you it in English."

Well, I thought there was a good deal of mockery in the business, one
way and another; and yet, there was some feeling too, for which I hated
him, I think, the worst of all. And it used to cut me to the quick to
see Catriona so much concerned for the old rogue, and weeping herself to
see him weep, when I was sure one-half of his distress flowed from his
last night's drinking in some tavern. There were times when I was
tempted to lend him a round sum, and see the last of him for good; but
this would have been to see the last of Catriona as well, for which I
was scarcely so prepared; and besides, it went against my conscience to
squander my good money on one who was so little of a husband.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXVII

A TWOSOME

I believe it was about the fifth day, and I know at least that James was
in one of his fits of gloom, when I received three letters. The first
was from Alan, offering to visit me in Leyden; the other two were out of
Scotland and prompted by the same affair, which was the death of my
uncle and my own complete accession to my rights. Rankeillor's was, of
course, wholly in the business view; Miss Grant's was like herself, a
little more witty than wise, full of blame to me for not having written
(though how was I to write with such intelligence?) and of rallying talk
about Catriona, which it cut me to the quick to read in her very
presence.

For it was of course in my own rooms that I found them, when I came to
dinner, so that I was surprised out of my news in the very first moment
of reading it. This made a welcome diversion for all three of us, nor
could any have foreseen the ill consequences that ens