Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 1

BATLLIE LUNNAIN. 287
"where the lad was, and he asked him to come home to
his dinner ; and the lad came, and he told the Bailie
that he had understood all that had been said.
" Now," said he, " as it is the law that no man
may be married here unless the Bailie gives him the
bride by the hand, will you be so kind as to give me
the girl that I have come to marry, if she is in the
same mind Ì I will have ever}'thing ready."
And the Bailie said, " I will do that, my smart
lad, to-morroAV, or whenever thou dost choose. I
Avould go farther than that for such a smart hoj,"
said he.
" Well, I will be ready at such a house to-morrow,"
said the lad ; and he went away to the foster-mother's
house.
"Wlien the morrow came, the Bailie's daughter dis-
guised herself, and she went to the house of her foster-
mother, and the Gael had got a churchman there ; and
the Bailie came in, and he took his own daughter bj'
the hand ; but she would not give her hand to the
lad.
" Give thy hand, girl," said the Bailie. " It is
an honour for thee to marry such a smart lad." And
he gave her to him, and they were married according
to law.
Then the Bailie went home, and he was to give
liis daughter by the hand to the Saxon gentleman that
day ; but the daughter was not to be found ; and he
Avas a "widower, and she was keeping the house for
him, and they could not find her an}Tvhere.
" Well," said the Bailie, " I "will lay a wager that
Gael has got her, after all." And the Gael came in
with the daughter, and he told them everything just
as it had happened, from the liegiiming to the end,
and how he had plenty in his own country.