tales of the
devil as we came over the top of the scaur. As we came in by the abbey I
heard somewhat of the old monks, and more of the free-traders, who use
its ruins for a magazine, landing for that cause within a cannon-shot of
Durrisdeer; and along all the road the Duries and poor Mr. Henry were in
the first rank of slander. My mind was thus highly prejudiced against
the family I was about to serve, so that I was half surprised when I
beheld Durrisdeer itself, lying in a pretty, sheltered bay, under the
Abbey Hill; the house most commodiously built in the French fashion, or
perhaps Italianate, for I have no skill in these arts; and the place the
most beautified with gardens, lawns, shrubberies, and trees I had ever
seen. The money sunk here unproductively would have quite restored the
family; but as it was, it cost a revenue to keep it up.

Mr. Henry came himself to the door to welcome me: a tall dark young
gentleman (the Duries are all black men) of a plain and not cheerful
face, very strong in body, but not so strong in health; taking me by the
hand without any pride, and putting me at home with plain kind speeches.
He led me into the hall, booted as I was, to present me to my lord. It
was still daylight; and the first thing I observed was a lozenge of
clear glass in the midst of the shield in the painted window, which I
remember thinking a blemish on a room otherwise so handsome, with its
family portraits, and the pargeted ceiling with pendants, and the carved
chimney, in one corner of which my old lord sat reading in his Livy. He
was like Mr. Henry, with much the same plain countenance, only more
subtle and pleasant, and his talk a thousand times more entertaining. He
had many questions to ask me, I remember, of Edinburgh College, where I
had just received my mastership of arts, and of the various professors,
with whom and their proficiency he seemed well acquainted; and thus,
talking of things that I knew, I soon got liberty of speech in my new
home.

In the midst of this came Mrs. Henry into the room; she was very far
gone, Miss Katharine being due in about six weeks, which made me think
less of her beauty at the first sight; and she used me with more of
condescension than the rest; so that, upon all accounts, I kept her in
the third place of my esteem.

It did not take long before all Patey Macmorland's tales were blotted
out of my belief, and I was become, what I have ever since remained, a
loving servant