for the rebel general and the sick Frenchman: our measures had
been so well taken, however, that no suspicion attached itself to
Knowehead. I learned from Peggy, so soon as her lamentations subsided,
that Mr O'More was a south country gentleman, who had married her
master's sister, and that Madeline was his only child; that this had
been his first visit to the north since the death of his lady, which
had taken place at her brother's house, but that Moyabel had long been
the resort of his friends and emissaries. The old woman left Knowehead
that night, and I learned no more; for Jenny (who remained with Miss
Janet) had been so busy with her care of Aleck during his illness, and
afterwards so unwell herself, that she knew nothing more than I.

Another week completely re-established me in my strength; but the
craving that had never left me since the last sight of Madeline, kept
me still restless and impatient. Meanwhile Aleck's courtship had
ripened in the golden sun of matrimony, and the wedding took place on
the next Monday morning. He was a favourite with all at Knowehead, and
the event was celebrated by a dance of all the young neighbours. After
witnessing the leaping and flinging in the barn for half an hour, I
retired to Miss Janet's parlour, where I was lolling away the evening
on her high-backed sofa, along with the old gentleman, who, driven
from his capitol in the kitchen by the bustle of the day, had
installed himself in the unwonted state of an embroidered arm-chair
beside me. We were projecting a grand coursing campaign before I
should leave the country, and listening to the frequent bursts of
merriment from the barn and kitchen, when little Davie came in to tell
his master that "Paul Ingram was speerin' gain he wad need ony tey, or
brendy, or prime pigtail, or Virginney leaf."

"I do not just approve of Paul's line of trade," observed the old man,
turning to me; "for I'm thinking his commodities come oftener frae the
smuggler's cave than the king's store; but he's a merry deevil, Paul,
and has picked up a braw hantle o' mad ballads ae place and another;
some frae Glen---- here, some frae Galloway, some frae the Isle o'
Man, and some queer lingos he can sing, that he says he learned frae
the Frenchmen."

A sudden thought struck me. "I will go out and get him to sing some to
me, sir."--"Is Rab Halliday there, Davie?" inquired he.

"Oh aye, sir," said Davie; "it's rantin' Rab that ye hear roarin' e'en
noo."