The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

A Strange Revenoe. 463
though his thoughts had drifted into a different channel,
David's mind was still brooding in the other groove.
"
" Do you mean there is an engagement ?
As he put the question, David wheeled round, and con-
fronted John with such a scared and startled look that the
latter made a step backwards, his mouth gaping with
amazement. " Sure enough he's getting queer in the head,"
he thought, " they books will ding him daft some day."
" There's nae use tellin' a lee in the matter, sir ; an' ye
needna get inta sic a' awfu' flurr}'. Whaur's the shame
o't ? A man's nae tae thole the single life a' his days."
" Who told you all this, John ? Speak quick, man,
who told you ?"
" Naebudy telt me—sic a queer haver. Wha shuld ken
better than mysel' ?"
" Confess now, were you eavesdropping and heaid this ?"
" Eavesdrappin'? Man, Master Dauvit, are ye gaun clean
gyte ? I never saw ye in sic a cullyshangey afore ower
nathing ava."
" I will not press you farther, John," said David drawing
himself together, " as to where you got the information, but
do you assure me, upon your oath, sir, that there is an
engagement—upon your oath, now, for this affair is more
serious than you, a mere servant of the family, may think."
" My aith ? Aye, twenty-thousand aiths, if ye like,"
retorted the astounded and obtuse John.
" You have told this to nobody else ?"
" Yer the very first, sir."
" Then on pain of losing my good opinion, keep it a
close secret. You do not, I see, realise the gravity of the
case, John. Keep it a secret, particular!}- from your female
friends. Do you hear?"
" I'm no deaf—but
"
Here David left the apartment with passionate strides,
and John stood gazing at the open door with a expression
that would have a fortune made in a comic opera. After a
while, a faint idea of the humour of the situation began to