Fiction > Book editions > New York, 1893 - David Balfour

DAVID BALFOUR 11
been so forgetful that you did not refuse me in the
proper time."
'' If it liad ])eeu a great sum, it might have done you
honour/' said she. "But I will tell you what this is.
James More lies shackled in prison ; but this time past,
they will be bringing him down here daily to the Advo-
cate's. . . ."
'' The Advocate's ? " I cried. " Is that ...?"'
" It is the. house of the Lord Advocate, Grant of Pres-
tongrange," said she. "There they bring my father
one time and another, for what purpose I have no
thought in my mind ; but it seems there is some hope
dawned for him. All this same time they will not let
me be seeing him, nor yet him write ; and we wait upon
the King's street to catch him ; and now we give him
his snuff as he goes by, and now something else. And
here is this son of trouble, Neil, son of Duncan, has
lost my fourpenny-piece that was to buy that snuff, and
James More must go wanting, and will think his
daughter has forgotten him.'"
I took sixpence from my pocket, gave it to Neil, and
bade him go about his errand. Then to her, " That
sixpence came with me by Balwhidder," said I.
"Ah!" she said, "you are a friend to the Gre-
gara ! "
" I would not like to deceive you either," said I. " I
know very little of the Gregara and less of James More
and his doings ; but since the while I have been stand-