ld show her how
little it consisted with his honour, and remind her, even if he should
consent, that Mr. Henry would certainly refuse. _Non vi sed saepe
cadendo_ was a favourite word of his; and no doubt this quiet
persecution wore away much of her resolve; no doubt, besides, he had a
great influence on the girl, having stood in the place of both her
parents; and, for that matter, she was herself filled with the spirit of
the Duries, and would have gone a great way for the glory of Durrisdeer;
but not so far, I think, as to marry my poor patron, had it not
been--strangely enough--for the circumstance of his extreme
unpopularity.

This was the work of Tam Macmorland. There was not much harm in Tam; but
he had that grievous weakness, a long tongue; and as the only man in
that country who had been out--or, rather, who had come in again--he was
sure of listeners. Those that have the underhand in any fighting, I have
observed, are ever anxious to persuade themselves they were betrayed. By
Tam's account of it, the rebels had been betrayed at every turn and by
every officer they had; they had been betrayed at Derby, and betrayed at
Falkirk; the night march was a step of treachery of my Lord George's;
and Culloden was lost by the treachery of the Macdonalds. This habit of
imputing treason grew upon the fool, till at last he must have in Mr.
Henry also. Mr. Henry (by his account) had betrayed the lads of
Durrisdeer; he had promised to follow with more men, and instead of that
he had ridden to King George. "Ay, and the next day!" Tam would cry.
"The puir bonny Master, and the puir kind lads that rade wi' him, were
hardly ower the scaur or he was aff--the Judis! Ay, weel--he has his way
o't: he's to be my lord, nae less, and there's mony a cold corp amang
the Hieland heather!" And at this, if Tam had been drinking, he would
begin to weep.

Let any one speak long enough, he will get believers. This view of Mr.
Henry's behaviour crept about the country by little and little; it was
talked upon by folk that knew the contrary, but were short of topics;
and it was heard and believed and given out for gospel by the ignorant
and the ill-willing. Mr. Henry began to be shunned; yet a while, and the
commons began to murmur as he went by, and the women (who are always the
most bold because they are the most safe) to cry out their reproaches to
his face. The Master was cried up for a saint. It was remembered how he
had never any hand in pres