The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

630 1 he Hi(rhland Montkiy
face of a corpulent navvy who sat right opposite me. His
fat cheeks wobbled about to every motion like two plates of
porridge, and the wonder is they didn't fall out.
I felt myself to be an object of considerable curiosity. I
was stared at by some fifty pairs of eyes as if I were some
new kind of animal, or a royal prince. Not a word was
spoken ; words could not be heard in the deafening din
which accompanied our progress. So they simply sat with
their elbows on their knees, and smoked, and glared. I
tried to look comfortable and at home ; but am cognizant
that the effort was a dismal failure. My bright and polished
boots would obtrude themselves, and I felt almost ashamed
of them, and tried to keep them out of sight. My gloves
I covertly took off, and hid them away in my pocket in a
cowardly way. I tried to look as if my umbrella was a
nuisance, and there purely by accident. My ulster I could
do nothing to ameliorate, so I had to brazen it out, an effort
which nearly failed when the man with the wobbly cheeks
put out his hand and calmly felt the quality of it. The
result of his investigation was apparently satisfactory, for he
winked to me confidentially, and with profound gravity.
As I have said, I tried to look comfortable, but I failed*
The eyes of the working class were on me, and I was intrusive
and dandyfied and mean and worthless ; in short, I felt like
a bloated capitalist.
As it was equally possible to see through the windows
as to see through the wooden sides of the car, nothing of
the new line or of the scenery could be seen ; and
it was
not until we stopped at the end of Loch Treig, where friend
Macdougall said we must change carriages, that I had an
opportunity of seeing anything. It was with a thankful
feeling that I greedily filled my lungs with pure air. It
was even more refreshing than a deep, deep draught of
pure water after an intolerable thirst. It was some time
before I could get enough of it, and anything more refresh-
ing or agreeable I have seldom experienced.
However, there was no time for looking at scenery or
anything else, for we had to hurriedly climb over a mass of