tryste, rather than gang forward yoursell—I hae a sincere regard for ye, and I’m sure ye’ll be a credit to your friends if ye live to saw out your wild aits, and get some mair sense and steadiness—But I can follow ye nae farther, even if ye suld founder and perish from the way for lack of guidance and counsel—to gang into Rob Roy’s country is a mere tempting o’ Providence.”

“Rob Roy?” said I, in some surprise; “I know no such person. What new trick is this, Andrew?”

“It’s hard,” said Andrew—“very hard, that a man canna be believed when he speaks Heaven’s truth, just because he’s whiles owercome, and tells lees a little when there is necessary occasion. Ye needna ask whae Rob Roy is, the reiving lifter that he is—God forgie me! I hope naebody hears us—when ye hae a letter frae him in your pouch. I heard ane o’ his gillies bid that auld rudas jaud of a gudewife gie ye that. They thought I didna understand their gibberish; but, though I canna speak it muckle, I can gie a gude guess at what I hear them say—I never thought to hae tauld ye that, but in a fright a’ things come out that suld be keepit in. Oh, Maister Frank, a’ your uncle’s follies, and a’ your cousins’ pliskies, were naething to this!—Drink clean cap-out, like Sir Hildebrand; begin the blessed morning with brandy sops, like Squire Percy; swagger, like Squire Thorncliff; rin wud amang the lasses, like Squire John! gamble, like Richard; win souls to the Pope and the deevil, like Rashleigh; rive, rant, break the Sabbath, and do the Pope’s bidding, like them a’ put thegither—But, merciful Providence! take care o’ your young bluid, and gang nae near Rob Roy!”

Andrew’s alarm was too sincere to permit me to suppose he counterfeited. I contented myself, however, with telling him, that I meant to remain in the alehouse that night, and desired to have the horses well looked after. As to the rest, I charged him to observe the strictest silence upon the subject of his alarm, and he might rely upon it I would not incur any serious danger without due precaution. He followed me with a dejected air into the house, observing between his teeth, “Man suld be served afore beast—I haena had a morsel in my mouth, but the rough legs o’ that auld muircock, this haill blessed day.”

The harmony of the company seemed to have suffered some interruption since my departure, for I found Mr. Galbraith and my friend the Bailie high in dispute.

“I’ll hear nae sic language,” said Mr. Jarvie, as I entered, “respecting the Duke o’ Argyle and the name o’ Campbell. He’s a worthy public-spirited nobleman, and a credit to the country, and a friend and benefactor to the trade o’ Glasgow.”

“I’ll say naething against MacCallum More and the Slioch-nan-Diarmid,” said the lesser Highlander, laughing. “I live on the wrang side of Glencroe to quarrel with Inverara.”

“Our loch ne’er saw the Cawmil lymphads,”¹ said the bigger Highlander. “She’ll speak her mind and fear nae-body—She doesna value a Cawmil mair as a Cowan, and ye may tell MacCallum More that Allan Iverach said sae—It’s a far cry to Lochow.”²

Mr. Galbraith, on whom the repeated pledges which he had quaffed had produced some influence, slapped his hand on the table with great force, and said in a stern voice, ‘There’s a bloody debt due by that family, and they will pay it one day—The banes of a loyal and a gallant Grahame hae lang rattled in their coffin for vengeance on thae Dukes of Guile and Lords for Lorn. There ne’er was treason in Scotland but a Cawmil was at the bottom o’t; and now that the wrang side’s uppermost, wha but the Cawmils for keeping down the right? But this warld winna last lang, and it will be time to sharp the maiden³ for shearing o’ craigs and thrapples. I hope to see the auld rusty lass linking at a bluidy harst again.”

“For shame, Garschattachin!” exclaimed the Bailie; “fy for shame, sir; wad ye say sic things before a magistrate, and bring yoursell into trouble?—How d’ye think to mainteen your family and satisfy your creditors (mysell and others) if ye gang on in that wild way, which cannot but bring you under the law, to the prejudice of a’ that’s connected wi’ ye?”