Matheson Collection > Popular tales of the west Highlands > Volume 1

BAILIE LUNNAIN. 295
to another version, the house and bridge meant a coach
and a saddle-horse.]
Well, the next day the Bailie went to the house
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 ? I
will have everything ready."
And the Bailie said, " I will do that, my smart lad,
to-morrow, or whenever thou dost choose. I would go
farther than that for such a smart boy," 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.
When the morrow came, the Bailie's daughter dis-
guised herself, and she went to the house of the foster-
mother, and the Gael had got a churchman there ; and
the Bailie came in, and he took his own daughter by 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 his
daughter by the hand to the Saxon gentleman that day ;
but the daughter was not to be found ; and he was a
widower, and she was keeping the house for him, and
they could not find her anywhere.
"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