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the hoose to the mistress。' For the threat was merely the rod of
terror which she thought it convenient to hold over the back of the
boy； whom she always supposed to be about some mischief except he
were in her own presence and visibly reading a book： if he were
reading aloud； so much the better。 But Robert likewise kept a rod
for his defence； and that was Betty's age； which he had discovered
to be such a precious secret that one would have thought her virtue
depended in some cabalistic manner upon the concealment of it。 And；
certainly； nature herself seemed to favour Betty's weakness； casting
such a mist about the number of her years as the goddesses of old
were wont to cast about a wounded favourite； for some said Betty was
forty； others said she was sixty…five； and； in fact； almost
everybody who knew her had a different belief on the matter。
By this time Robert had conquered the difficulty of induing boots as
hard as a thorough wetting and as thorough a drying could make them；
and now stood prepared to go。 His object in setting out was to find
the boy whom his grandmother had driven from the door with a hastier
and more abject flight than she had in the least intended。 But； if
his grandmother should miss him； as Betty suggested； and inquire
where he had been； what was he to say？ He did not mind misleading
his grannie； but he had a great objection to telling her a lie。 His
grandmother herself delivered him from this difficulty。
'Robert； come here；' she called from the parlour door。 And Robert
obeyed。
'Is 't dingin' on； Robert？' she asked。
'No； grannie； it's only a starnie o' drift。'
The meaning of this was that there was no fresh snow falling； or
beating on； only a little surface snow blowing about。
'Weel； jist pit yer shune on； man； and rin up to Miss Naper's upo'
the Squaur； and say to Miss Naper； wi' my compliments； that I wad be
sair obleeged till her gin she wad len' me that fine receipt o' hers
for crappit heids； and I'll sen' 't back safe the morn's mornin'。
Rin； noo。'
This commission fell in admirably with Robert's plans； and he
started at once。
CHAPTER III。
THE BOAR'S HEAD。
Miss Napier was the eldest of three maiden sisters who kept the
principal hostelry of Rothieden； called The Boar's Head； from which；
as Robert reached the square in the dusk； the mail…coach was moving
away with a fresh quaternion of horses。 He found a good many boxes
standing upon the pavement close by the archway that led to the
inn…yard； and around them had gathered a group of loungers； not too
cold to be interested。 These were looking towards the windows of
the inn； where the owner of the boxes had evidently disappeared。
'Saw ye ever sic a sicht in oor toon afore！' said Dooble Sanny； as
people generally called him； his name being Alexander Alexander；
pronounced； by those who chose to speak of him with the ordinary
respect due from one mortal to another； Sandy Elshender。 Double
Sandy was a soutar； or shoemaker； remarkable for his love of sweet
sounds and whisky。 He was； besides； the town…crier； who went about
with a drum at certain hours of the morning and evening； like a
perambulating clock； and also made public announcements of sales；
losses； &c。； for the resta fierce； fighting fellow when in anger
or in drink； which latter included the former。
'What's the sicht； Sandy？' asked Robert； coming up with his hands in
the pockets of his trowsers。
'Sic a sicht as ye never saw； man；' returned Sandy； 'the bonniest
leddy ever man set his ee upo'。 I culd na hae thocht there had been
sic a woman i' this warl'。'
'Hoot； Sandy！' said Robert； 'a body wad think she was tint （lost）
and ye had the cryin' o' her。 Speyk laicher； man； she'll maybe hear
ye。 Is she i' the inn there？'
'Ay is she；' answered Sandy。 'See sic a warl' o' kists as she's
brocht wi' her；' he continued； pointing towards the pile of luggage。
'Saw ye ever sic a bourach （heap）？ It jist blecks （beats） me to
think what ae body can du wi' sae mony kists。 For I mayna doobt but
there's something or ither in ilka ane o' them。 Naebody wad carry
aboot toom （empty） kists wi' them。 I cannot mak' it oot。'
The boxes might well surprise Sandy； if we may draw any conclusions
from the fact that the sole implement of personal adornment which he
possessed was two inches of a broken comb； for which he had to
search when he happened to want it； in the drawer of his stool；
among awls； lumps of rosin for his violin； masses of the same
substance wrought into shoemaker's wax for his ends； and packets of
boar's bristles； commonly called birse； for the same。
'Are thae a' ae body's？' asked Robert。
'Troth are they。 They're a' hers； I wat。 Ye wad hae thocht she had
been gaein' to The Bothie； but gin she had been that； there wad hae
been a cairriage to meet her；' said Crookit Caumill； the ostler。
The Bothie was the name facetiously given by Alexander； Baron
Rothie； son of the Marquis of Boarshead； to a house he had built in
the neighbourhood； chiefly for the accommodation of his bachelor
friends from London during the shooting…season。
'Haud yer tongue； Caumill；' said the shoemaker。 'She's nae sic
cattle； yon。'
'Haud up the bit bowat （stable…lantern）； man； and lat Robert here
see the direction upo' them。 Maybe he'll mak' something o't。 He's
a fine scholar； ye ken；' said another of the bystanders。
The ostler held the lantern to the card upon one of the boxes； but
Robert found only an M。； followed by something not very definite；
and a J。； which might have been an I。； Rothieden； Driftshire；
Scotland。
As he was not immediate with his answer； Peter Lumley； one of the
group； a lazy ne'er…do…weel； who had known better days； but never
better manners； and was seldom quite drunk； and seldomer still quite
sober； struck in with；
'Ye dinna ken a' thing yet； ye see； Robbie。'
》From Sandy this would have been nothing but a good…humoured attempt
at facetiousness。 From Lumley it meant spite； because Robert's
praise was in his ears。
'I dinna preten' to ken ae hair mair than ye do yersel'； Mr。 Lumley；
and that's nae sayin' muckle； surely；' returned Robert； irritated at
his tone more than at his words。
The bystanders laughed； and Lumley flew into a rage。
'Haud yer ill tongue； ye brat；' he said。 'Wha' are ye to mak' sic
remarks upo' yer betters？ A'body kens yer gran'father was naething
but the blin' piper o' Portcloddie。'
This was news to Robertprobably false； considering the quarter
whence it came。 But his mother…wit did not forsake him。
'Weel； Mr。 Lumley；' he answered； 'didna he pipe weel？ Daur ye tell
me 'at he didna pipe weel？as weel's ye cud hae dune 't yersel'；
noo； Mr。 Lumley？'
The laugh again rose at Lumley's expense； who was well known to have
tried his hand at most things； and succeeded in nothing。 Dooble
Sanny was especially delighted。
'De'il hae ye for a de'il's brat！ 'At I suld sweer！' was all
Lumley's reply； as he sought to conceal his mortification by
attempting to join in the laugh against himself。 Robert seized the
opportunity of turning away and entering the house。
'That ane's no to be droont or brunt aither；' said Lumley； as he
disappeared。
'He'll no be hang't for closin' your mou'； Mr。 Lumley；' said the
shoemaker。
Thereupon Lumley turned and followed Robert into the inn。
Robert had delivered his message to Miss Napier； who sat in an
arm…chair by the fire； in a little comfortable parlour； held sacred
by all about the house。 She was paralytic； and unable to attend to
her guests further than by giving orders when anything especial was
referred to her decision。 She was an old ladynearly as old as
Mrs。 Falconerand wore glasses； but they could not conceal the
kindness of her kindly eyes。 Probably from giving less heed to a
systematic theology； she had nothing of that sternness which first
struck a stranger on seeing Robert's grandmother。 But then she did
not know what it was to be contradicted； and if she had been
married； and had had sons； perhaps a sternness not dissimilar might
have shown itself in her nature。
'Noo ye maunna gang awa' till ye get something；' she said； after
taking the receipt in request from a drawer within her reach； and
laying it upon the table。 But ere she could ring the bell which
stood by her side； one of her servants came in。
'Please； mem；' she said； 'Miss Letty and Miss Lizzy's seein' efter
the bonny leddy； and sae I maun come to you。'
'Is she a' that bonny； Meg？' asked her mistress。
'Na； na； she's nae sae fearsome bonny； but Miss Letty's unco ta'en
wi' her； ye ken。 An' we a' say as Miss Letty says i' this hoose。
But that's no the pint。 Mr。 Lumley's here； seekin' a gill： is he
to hae't？'
'Has he had eneuch already； do ye think； Meg？'
'I dinna ken aboot eneuch； mem；