We took horse early, and passed first by the house of Shaws, where it stood smokeless in a great field of white frost, for it was yet early in the day. Here Prestongrange alighted down, gave me his horse, and proceeded alone to visit my uncle. My heart, I remember, swelled up bitter within me at the sight of that bare house and the thought of the old miser sitting chittering within in the cold kitchen. "There is my home," said I. "And my family." "Poor David Balfour!" said Miss Grant. What passed during the visit I have never heard; but it would doubtless not be very agreeable to Ebenezer; for when the Advocate came forth again his face was dark. "I think you will soon be the laird indeed, Mr. Davie," says he, turning half about with the one foot in the stirrup. "I will never pretend sorrow," said I; and, to say the truth, during his absence Miss Grant and I had been embellishing the place in fancy with plantations, parterres, and a terrace, much as I have since carried out in fact. Thence we pushed to the Queensferry, where Rankeillor gave us a good welcome, being indeed out of the body to receive so great a visitor. Here the Advocate was so unaffectedly good as to go quite fully over my affairs, sitting perhaps two hours with the Writer in his study, and expressing (I was told) a great esteem for myself and concern for my fortunes. To while this time, Miss Grant and I and young Rankeillor took boat and passed the Hope to Limekilns. Rankeillor made himself very ridiculous (and, I thought offensive) with his admiration for the young lady, and to my wonder (only it is so common a weakness of her sex) she seemed, if anything, to be a little gratified. One use it had: for when we were come to the other side, she laid her commands on him to mind the boat, while she and I passed a little further to the ale-house. This was her own thought, for she had been taken with my account of Alison Hastie, and desired to see the lass herself. We found her once more alone--indeed, I believe her father wrought all day in the fields--and she curtsied dutifully to the gentry-folk and the beautiful young lady in the riding coat. "Is this all the welcome I am to get?" said I, holding out my hand. "And have you no more memory of old friends?" "Keep me! wha's this of it?" she cried, and then, "God's truth, it's the tautit[19] laddie!" "The very same," says I. "Mony's the time I've thocht upon you and your freen, and blythe am I to see in your braws,"[20] she cried. "Though I kent ye were come to your ain folk by the grand present that ye sent me and that I thank ye for with a' my heart." "There," said Miss Grant to me, "run out by with ye, like a good bairn. I didnae come here to stand and hand a candle; it's her and me that are to crack." I suppose she stayed ten minutes in the house, but when she came forth I observed two things--that her eyes were reddened, and a silver brooch was gone out of her bosom. This very much affected me.