The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Scenes of Lon^ ^go. 301
having lost anything for a great while, and poor Kate's
scruples were relieved.
The two Kates could not endure each other's company,
and would on no account put up for a night in the same
house. So intense was this mutual dislike or professional
jealousy, that if one of them arrived at Glenbeltane near
supper time, and found her rival already iii possession, she
would turn from the door, and tramp all the way to
Balmosses.
Nor can I forbear to mention the pilgrim who assumed the
style and mannersof an ecclesiastical personage. Claimingto
be of the quality himself, his craze was to treat everyone with
an exaggerated courtliness of etiquette, as though also of
genteel rank. It need scarcely be said that this notion led
to very ludicrous scenes. It was generally understood that
he had attended a University, but no one had any certain
knowledge of his antecedents. His mode of existence
now was similar to that of other gangrel bodies. He, too,
lived b}' making a pei-petual round of the country. His
features were habitually drawn into what Goldsmith calls,
" That sententious look which nothing means." He wore
a tall hat of antique shape, a tattered dress coat, and the
semblance of a white tie. His only baggage consisted of
a very large Bible, and a book in Latin. Perhaps it was
due to this latter volume that he was popularly supposed
to be a man of vast learning. Indeed, many maintained
that his wits had been confused by profound study, while
others alleged that, having been badly used in a love affair,
disappointment had permanently unsettled his reason. He
spoke with a stmng nasal intonation, superinduced by snuff
probabi}', and had an odd way of prefacing his remarks by
taking off his hat, and slowly shaking out of it, with much
dignit)', a coloured handkerchief of ample proportions. Me
came by a tragic end, which cast a gloom of sadness over
the district. While journeying across the hills from Abergov
in mid winter, the unfortunate man was overtaken by