Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

THE INHERITANCE. I 7
and tliey told him all that had happened. " Stay with
me," said the old man, " and I will think over this
ma+ter. I cannot understand it ; but, as you know,
your father and I were very great with each other.
When he had children I had sponsorship, and when I
had children he had gostjc. 1 know that your father
never told a lie." And he kept them there, and he
gave them meat and drink for ten days.
Then he sent for the three young lads, and he
made them sit down beside him, and he said —
" There was once a young lad, and he was poor ;
and he took love for the daughter of a rich neighbour,
and she took love for him ; but because he was so poor
there could be no wedding. So at last they pledged
themselves to each other, and the young man went
away, and stayed in his own house. After a time
there came another suitor, and because he was well oiF,
the girl's father made her promise to marry him, and
after a time they were married. But when the bride-
groom came to her, he found her weeping and bewail-
ing ; and he said, ' What ails thee Ì ' The bride would
say notliing for a long time ; but at last she told liim
all about it, and how she was j)ledged to another man.
'Dress thyself,' said the man, 'and follow me.' So
she dressed herseK in the wedding clothes, and he took
the horse, and put her behind him, and rode to the
house of the other man, and when he got there, he
struck in the door, and called out, ' Is there man
within?' and when the other answered, he left the
bride there Avithin the door, and he said nothing, but
he returned home. Then the man got up, and got a
light, and who was there but the bride in her wedding
dress.
"'What brought thee here?' said he. 'Such a
man,' said the bride. ' I was married to him to-day,
VOL. II. c