MARQUISE OF LOSSIE'S ADVENTURES: Malcolm & The Marquis's Secret. George MacDonald

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      The moment he turned the corner of her street, he saw Mrs Catanach standing on her threshold with her arms akimbo; although she was always tidy, and her house spotlessly trim, she yet seemed forever about the door, on the outlook at least, if not on the watch.

      "What hae ye in yer bit basket the day, Ma'colm?" she said, with a peculiar smile, which was not sweet enough to restore vanished confidence.

      "Naething guid for dogs," answered Malcolm, and was walking past.

      But she made a step forward, and, with a laugh meant to indicate friendly amusement, said,

      "Let's see what's intill't, ony gait (anyhow).—The doggie's awa on 's traivels the day."

      "'Deed, Mistress Catanach," persisted Malcolm, "I canna say I like to hae my ain fish flung i' my face, nor yet to see ill-faured tykes rin awa' wi' 't afore my verra een."

      After the warning given him by Miss Horn, and the strange influence her presence had had on his grandfather, Malcolm preferred keeping up a negative quarrel with the woman.

      "Dinna ca' ill names," she returned: "my dog wad tak it waur to be ca'd an ill faured tyke, nor to hae fish flung in his face. Lat's see what's i' yer basket, I say."

      As she spoke, she laid her hand on the basket, but Malcolm drew back, and turned away towards the gate.

      "Lord safe us!" she cried, with a yelling laugh; "ye're no feared at an auld wife like me?"

      "I dinna ken; maybe ay an' maybe no—I wadna say. But I dinna want to hae onything to du wi' ye, mem."

      "Ma'colm MacPhail," said Mrs Catanach, lowering her voice to a hoarse whisper, while every trace of laughter vanished from her countenance, "ye hae had mair to du wi' me nor ye ken, an' aiblins ye'll hae mair yet nor ye can weel help. Sae caw canny, my man."

      "Ye may hae the layin' o' me oot," said Malcolm, "but it sanna be wi' my wull; an' gien I hae ony life left i' me, I s' gie ye a fleg (fright)."

      "Ye may get a war yersel': I hae frichtit the deid afore noo. Sae gang yer wa's to Mistress Coorthoup, wi' a flech (flea) i' yer lug (ear). I wuss ye luck—sic luck as I wad wuss ye I—"

      Her last words sounded so like a curse, that to overcome a cold creep, Malcolm had to force a laugh.

      The cook at the House bought all his fish, for they had had none for the last few days, because of the storm; and he was turning to go home by the river side, when he heard a tap on a window, and saw Mrs Courthope beckoning him to another door.

      "His lordship desired me to send you to him, Malcolm, the next time you called," she said.

      "Weel, mem, here I am," answered the youth.

      "You'll find him in the flower garden," she said. "He's up early today for a wonder."

      He left his basket at the top of the stairs that led down the rock to the level of the burn, and walked up the valley of the stream.

      The garden was a curious old fashioned place, with high hedges, and close alleys of trees, where two might have wandered long without meeting, and it was some time before he found any hint of the presence of the marquis. At length, however, he heard voices, and following the sound, walked along one of the alleys till he came to a little arbour, where he discovered the marquis seated, and, to his surprise, the white robed lady of the sands beside him. A great deer hound at his master's feet was bristling his mane, and baring his eye teeth with a growl, but the girl had a hold of his collar.

      "Who are you?" asked the marquis rather gruffly, as if he had never seen him before.

      "I beg yer lordship's pardon," said Malcolm, "but they telled me yer lordship wantit to see me, and sent me to the flooer garden. Will I gang, or will I bide?"

      The marquis looked at him for a moment, frowningly, and made no reply. But the frown gradually relaxed before Malcolm's modest but unflinching gaze, and the shadow of a smile slowly usurped its place. He still kept silent, however.

      "Am I to gang or bide, my lord?" repeated Malcolm.

      "Can't you wait for an answer?"

      "As lang's yer lordship likes—Will I gang an' walk aboot, mem —my leddy, till his lordship's made up his min'? Wad that please him, duv ye think?" he said, in the tone of one who seeks advice.

      But the girl only smiled, and the marquis said, "Go to the devil."

      "I maun luik to yer lordship for the necessar' directions," rejoined Malcolm.

      "Your tongue's long enough to inquire as you go," said the marquis.

      A reply in the same strain rushed to Malcolm's lips, but he checked himself in time, and stood silent, with his bonnet in his band, fronting the two. The marquis sat gazing as if he had nothing to say to him, but after a few moments the lady spoke—not to Malcolm, however.

      "Is there any danger in boating here, papa?" she said.

      "Not more, I daresay, than there ought to be," replied the marquis listlessly. "Why do you ask?"

      "Because I should so like a row! I want to see how the shore looks to the mermaids."

      "Well, I will take you some day, if we can find a proper boat."

      "Is yours a proper boat?" she asked, turning to Malcolm with a sparkle of fun in her eyes.

      "That depen's on my lord's definition o' proper."

      "Definition!" repeated the marquis.

      "Is 't ower lang a word, my lord?" asked Malcolm.

      The marquis only smiled.

      "I ken what ye mean. It's a strange word in a fisher lad's mou', ye think. But what for should na a fisher lad hae a smatterin' o' loagic, my lord? For Greek or Laitin there's but sma' opportunity o' exerceese in oor pairts; but for loagic, a fisher body may aye haud his ban' in i' that. He can aye be tryin' 't upo' 's wife, or 's guid mother, or upo' 's boat, or upo' the fish whan they winna tak. Loagic wad save a heap o' cursin' an' ill words—amo' the fisher fowk, I mean, my lord."

      "Have you been to college?"

      "Na, my lord—the mair's the pity! But I've been to the school sin' ever I can min'."

      "Do they teach logic there?"

      "A kin' o' 't. Mr Graham sets us to try oor ban' whiles—jist to mak 's a bit gleg (quick and keen), ye ken."

      "You don't mean you go to school still?"

      "I dinna gang reg'lar; but I gang as aften as Mr Graham wants me to help him, an' I aye gether something."

      "So it's schoolmaster you are as well as fisherman? Two strings to your bow!—Who pays you for teaching?"

      "Ow! naebody. Wha wad pay me for that?"

      "Why, the schoolmaster."

      "Na, but that wad be an affront, my lord!"

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