The Fair Maid of Perth

hall Catharine

of th

in the mode which is best proof of cake as well as pudding. They talked, jested, and laughed. Catharine, too, had recovered her equanimity where the dames and damsels of the period were apt to lose theirs-in

e two men amused with their own conversation, and Catharine occupied either in attending to them or w

Highland loon. He was not seen last night during the fray n

ive; and Henry's ob

ir own deer-ay, and run from danger too as fast. I h

t them. I wish, Henry, you would speak more reverently of the Highlanders. They are often in Perth, bot

we make. It is natural I should like the Ruthvens, the Lindsays, the Ogilvys, the Oliphants, and so many others of our brave and noble neighbours, who are sheathed in steel of my making, like so many paladins, better than those naked, snatching mountaineers, who are ever doing us wrong, especially since no five

est even now, for here comes the loitering boy, and, tho

r his morning's meal. As he did not help himself to any food, Catharine offered him a platter containing some of the cakes which had met with such general approbation. At first he rejected her offered kindness rather sullenly; b

e slept soundly the night before, since I conclude you were not disturbed by the noise of the scuffle. Why, I thought a livel

heated coal, "which I took for the shout of some merry revellers; and you are wont t

ds and the twanging on harps, the wild war cry and the merry hunt's up. But let it pass, boy; I am glad thou art

in haste myself. I am for the hills.

t thou beside thyself, boy? or what a vengeance takes

the hesitation incidental to the use of a foreign language, or whether from some other cause,

blessed hunting?" said the master; "th

. "Perhaps never, if such be my father's pleasure

ession I took you under my roof. I thought that when I undertook, being very loth to do so, to teach you an h

t hither," said the lad, haughtily.

f to an honest craftsman, and spoiling more hides than your own is worth; and now, when you are of age to be of some

l pay you gallantly-a French mutton for every hide I have spoi

tly. Methinks I would like to know how many purses have been emptied to fill the goat skin sporran that is to be so free to y

uth, turning haughtily towards the smith, "th

e no more close hugs-no more bodkin work, like last night. I care little for a

son did thee but too much honour to spill such churl's blood. I will pay you

ation would be that thou shouldst come a mile into the Low Country with two of the strongest galloglasses of

to command; and peace you, Conachar, who ought to obey me as your master's daughter. It

hich has been more than I deserve. If I have at times seemed less than thankful, it was the fault of circumstances, and not of my will. Catharine-" He cast upon the m

and a small bundle in his hand, he passed through the nor

alks as familiarly of gold pieces as I would of silver pennies, and yet I will be sworn

t the idea; "his mother was a large boned

ry, "I reckon his father and broth

. "Brothers he hath none; his father is a powerful man-hath long hands-reac

ht the gentle craft, as it is called, of St. Crispin would have suited him best; and that, if the son of so

mon's sense of professional dignity, which was a prevailing

re honourable craft of the two, in regard they provide for the accommodation

the body corporate," said Henry,

ht. A glove is borne aloft; a shoe is trampled in the mire. A man greets a friend with his open hand; he spurns a dog, or one whom he holds as mean as a dog, with his advanced foot. A glove on the point of a spear is a sign and pledge of faith all the wide

untlets. But the dignity of your ancient craft removes not my wonder, that the father of this Conachar suffered his son to learn a trade of any kind from a Lowland craftsman, holding us, as they do, altogether bene

: "for Conachar's father acting as he did. Well, I have played fair with him, and I do not doubt but he will act honourably by me.

id Henry Gow, deceived by th

city of his proposal, that he blushed to the eyes at his own dulness of comprehe

ur Valentine for five minutes, and see he departs not till my return.

awkwardness on that of the lover, for about a minute; when Henry, calling up his courage, pulled the gloves out of his pocket with which Simon had supplied him, and asked her to permit one

e to St. Valentine infers no such penalty as you desire

owards Catharine as he spoke, "were wrought by the hands tha

er arm in his robust hand, spread the glov

and think whether the glove and the arm which alone the glove can fit ought to remain separate, because the poo

nd surely not less so as coming from my friend (and there was a

mself yet closer to her side; "they may seem a little o

y Gow," said the maiden, smiling, but at th

erience has been in donning steel gauntlets on mailed knig

re needs no assistance; my father's eye and fingers are faithful to his c

h-"let me see that these slender gloves ac

, and the mate he has sent me for the season. I would to Heaven I could pleasure my father as well in

est maiden!" ec

sname it," said Catharine, with a sigh, an

be, I ought to wait till I had to answer you. But I cannot, after what has happened this morning, suffer my feelings towards you to remain unexplained, without the possi

, save to introduce some bitter censure, of which your praises were the harbingers. I am ho

so persuade you, hate in yourself the sins of vanity and wrath by which you are most easily beset. I have spoken on the topic more to alarm your own conscience than to express my opinion. I know as well as my father that, in these forlorn and desperate days, the whole customs of our nation, nay, of every Christian nation, may be quoted in favour of bloody quarrels for trifling causes, of the t

not fight even handed with my reason and my milder dispositions, but have their patrons and sticklers to egg them on. Is there a quarrel, and suppose that I, thinking on your counsels, am something loth to engage in it, believe you I am left to decide between peace or war at my own choosing? Not so, by St. Mary! there are a hundred round me to stir me on. 'Why, how now, Smith, is t

atharine; "but it is our duty to despise such idle arguments, though

ing hard blows. It is sad to tell, Catharine, how many of my sins that Blind Harry the Minstrel hath to answer for. W

could scarce forbear smiling; but nevertheless she assured him that the danger of his

y weapon, I could have cause to recollect that there was a gentle and guardian angel at home, whose image would seem to whisper, 'Henry, do no violence; it is my hand which you crimson with blood. Henry, rus

an have weight in the debate," said Catharine, "do think that, in strikin

incerely affectionate tone in w

e poor ignorant sinner before you, should you not at once adopt him as your scholar and your husband? Your father desires it, the town expects

e I should hold it my duty to comply with my father's commands, w

play and sing as well as some minstrels. You love to be charitable, I have enough to give, and enough to keep, as large a daily alms as a deacon gives would never be missed by me. Your father gets old for daily toil; he would live with us

ppiness which you can conceive, Henry,

ir Maiden of Perth, who seemed chokin

n?" said the love

s my witn

ve some ot

cannot avail you to know. Bu

perhaps?" said Henry. "I

achar is nothing to me, more than the trying to tame his wild spirit by instruction might lead me to tak

e of those who think they carry it off through the height of their plumed bonnets and the jingle of their spurs. I would I knew which it was that, leaving his natura

t the beginning of this conference, more high in my opinion than he who is now losing ground with every word he utters in the tone of unjust suspicion and senseless anger. You had no title to know even what I have told you, which, I pray you to

plates, by singing a certain song while the iron was heating. I told him that his runic rhymes were no proof against the weapons which fought at Loncarty-wha

unted, which the downright smith had not recollected was of a kind that exposed him to her freque

nd request you to come into my working room in all speed, to cons

gun to hold the refusal of the damsel as somewhat capricious and inexplicable after the degree of encouragement which, in his opinion, she had afforded; Catharine, on the other hand, considered him rather as an encroacher upon the grace which she had shown him than one whose delic