Fiction > Book editions > London, 1893 - Catriona

A BEGGAR ON HORSEBACK. 5
great-coat. He walked with a stoop that was hke a
piece of courtesy, genteel and insinuating : he waved
his hands plausibly as he went, and his face was sly
and handsome. I thought his e3^e took me in, but
could not meet it. This procession went by to a door
in the close, which a serving-man in a fine liver}^ set
open ; and two of the soldier-lads carried the prisoner
within, the rest lingering with their firelocks by the
door.
There can nothing pass in the streets of a city
without some following of idle folk and chilch^en.
It was so now ; but the more part melted away in-
continent until but three were left. One was a girl ; .
she was dressed like a lady, and had a screen of the
Drummond colours on her head ; but her comrades or
(I should say) followers were ragged gillies, such as
I had seen the matches of by the dozen in my High-
land journey. They all spoke together earnestly in
Gaelic, the sound of which was pleasant in my ears
for the sake of Alan; and though the rain was by
again, and my porter plucked at me to be going, I
even drew nearer where they were, to listen. The
lad}" scolded sharply, the others making apologies and
cringeing before her, so that I made sure she was come
of a chiefs house. All the while the three of them
sought in their pockets, and by what I could make
out, they had the matter of half a farthing among
the party ; which made me smile a little to see all
Highland folk alike for fine obeisances and empty
sporrans.
It chanced the girl turned suddenly about, so that
1 saw her face for the first time. There is no greater