Fiction > Book editions > London, 1889 - Master of Ballantrae

SUMMARY OP EVENTS. 15
obstinate in silence. My old lord must have heard of
itj by John Paul, if by no one else ; and he must at least
have remarked the altered habits of his son. Yet even
he, it is probable, knew not how high the feeling ran ;
and as for Miss Alison, she was ever the last person to
hear news, and the least interested when she heard them.
In the height of the ill-feeling (for it died away as it
came, no man could say why) there was an election
forward in the town of St. Bride's, which is the next
to Durrisdeer, standing on the Water of Swift; some
grievance was fermenting, I forget what, if ever I
heard ; and it was cvu'rently said there would be broken
heads ere night, and that the sheriff had sent as far
as Dumfries for soldiers. My lord moved that Mr.
Henry should be present, assuring him it was neces-
sary to appear, for the credit of the house. " It will
soon be reported,'^ said he, " that we do not take the
lead in our own country."
'' It is a strange lead that I can take,'' said Mr. Henry;
and when they had pushed him further, " I tell you
the plain truth," he said, " I dare not show my face."
" You are the first of the house that ever said so,"
cries Miss Alison.
" We will go all three," said my lord ; and sure
enough he got into his boots (the first time in four years
— a sore business John Paul had to get them on), and
Miss Alison into her riding-coat, and all three rode
together to St. Bride's.