The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

A Stratige Revenge. 461
And thus it was that a conversation opened which was
destined to have an important effect upon the development
of this tale, besides proving that dramatic events may
depend upon very trifling misunderstandings.
" Have you seen Richard to-day, John ?"
"That's jist it, ye see, ' gantin's wantin' ; ye want tae
ken whaur Master Richard is ? Weel, I saw him this
mornin', but it wud clean beat me tae say whaur he's noo.
Whomsoever, he's maist Hkely at The Ha' !"
At this remark, David turned and gazed out of the
window, while John turned his attention to the chairs, each
of which appeared to have slipped half an inch out of its
proper place.
" What," David was asking himself gloomily, " had
even the servants begun to notice that Richard was play-
ing the flirt ?"
" He's a queer chap, Dauvit," mused John, pausing in his
operations and taking a squint at that gentleman's back ;
" but he may turn black in the face if he likes— I'll speak
my mind."
"Are you often at The Hall, John?" David ultimately
asked, sauntering down the room, hands thrust deep into
his trouser pockets.
" My last veesit was made nae farer gane than yester-
day," replied John with alacrity, " an' I've been there a
wheen times afore that."
" What sort of people are the Somertons"
"Weel, there's only the twa o' them, ye ken, the Pro-
fessor and his dochter—an' a weel faur'd hissey she is ;
rael bonnie, in fact, for her no tae be Scotch. She's nae
mare like her father than she's like the man in the mune.
Guid looking, d'ye say? He's a big, ill-shapit budy, wi' a
queer face an' sma' een. I've never 'changed a word wi*
him, an' I dinna want, that's mair. He's aye wanderin'
aboot in the wuds gaetherin' floors, speakin' tae naebudy an'
naebudy speakin' tae him. If the budy wud gang an' fish,
or shoot, though it was only craws, there wud be some