The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Scenes of Long A^o. 357
Now, Jessie Davidson's tocher might have enabled them all
to live in sufficient comfort. After she had said the word
which made her lover happy, he immediately broached the
subject to his uncle. Alas for his consent ! No sooner did
Drumblankit learn how matters stood than he flew into a
violent passion. Blaming his nephew for abusing his
generosity extended towards him since he was in his teens,
the old man would listen to no extenuating circumstances.
Whatever apology James ventured to offer only seemed to
add fuel to his wrath. " Had the House of Drumblankit,
indeed, sunk so low that it must form an alliance with one
whose ancestors were former henchmen in its hall ?" cried
the incensed laird. James here thought it prudent to
remind his relative that Jessie Davidson was not without
means. Nay, he pointed out, that her fortune might be
sufficient to redeem the propert}' from its hereditary
burden. Nothing could have been more unfortunate than
this hint ; for Drumblankit had frequently urged his
nephew to seek the hand of a wealthy heiress, in the person
of Miss Lucy Bisset of Castle Skillet, in Keilchrist. Her
family were of even greater contiguity than that of Duncairn,
while certain adventures of her uncle's on the Spanish
Main or upon the High Seas, as others hinted, had
abundantly filled the family purse of Castle Skillet.
Considering the prospects of the Drumblankits, there was
no doubt but that the heir of their hopes would be
favourably received at Castle Skillet. I cannot restrain a
certain feeling of sympathy for poor old Macbride who saw
his fond plans of family aggrandisement dashed to the
ground, or, shall I say thrown to utter confusion by the
pretty daughter of a drover, whose father held the smallest
croft in Millbeg.
It is quite needless to describe the scene that took place
at Drumblankit any further. The like domestic commotions
have often been described before. Drumblankit
gave his nephew^ a whole month to think the matter o\-er.
In the event of James then persisting in his ill-starred