Donal Grant

the affairs of life from any other point than his own greedy self, must be queer indee

there he would make inquiry before going further. The minister of his parish knew the minister of Auchars, and had given him a letter of i

bles with corbel steps; they called them here corbie-steps, in allusion, perhaps, to the raven sent out by Noah, for which lazy bird the children regarded these as places to rest. There were two or three curious gateways in it with some attempt at decoration, and one house with the pepperpot turrets which Scotish architecture has borrowed from the French chateau. The heart of the town was a yet narrower, close-built street, with several short closes and wynds opening out of it-all of which h

A little way beyond he caught sight of the sign he was in search of. It swung in front of an old-fashioned, dingy building, with much of the old-world look that pervaded the town. The last red rays of the sun were upon it, lighting up a sorely faded coat of arms. The supporters, two red horses on their hind legs, were all of it he could make out. The crest above suggested a skate, but could hardly have been intended for one. A greedy-eyed man

, landlord!

own door-post, or removing his hands from his pockets, but looking Donal up and down w

rven Arms, I'm thi

hink that," returned the inn-k

t's no a'body has the preevilege o' a knowledge o' heraldry like yersel', lan'lord! I'm b'un

cy he stood in terror of it-and the more covert the ridicule, so long as he suspected it, the more he resente

id. "Dinna ye see

he went on, turning sharp round upon the fellow, "ye're no cawpable o' conceivin' the extent o' my ignorance!

red at him

aid, "ye ken mair no

r the heid o' them?-A cre

rl-beset," answe

meant, or pearl-beset, yet prided h

Donal, "I took

dlord with offended sneer,

e nicht, gien ye could accommodate

n unwillingness to lose a penny, and resentment at the supposed badina

ce for my bed; a shillin

an-for ye seemna ow

my burden, yon's no hit. The loss o' what I

r customer!"

he carrier," rejoined Donal, "direckit to the

the landlord, implying the chest w

l shaw mysel' wantin' shune. I hae a pair i' my kis

s enew," said

want a word wi' the minister.

ce; he disna care aboot tramps, honest man!

overing himself-ther

less concern about what they seem. The ambitious like to be taken for m

a waur muckle on a tr

It's the pairt o' the honest t

puir craturs, wad

a wheen ma

ds? That's some hard! What gien ye wa

ut what are ye stan'in' there for

jist tak a luik aboot afore I mak up my min'.

d walked further