After a week spent in rural sport, and distinguished by the most frank
attentions on the part of his honest landlord, Brown bade adieu to the
banks of the Liddel and the hospitality of Charlie's Hope. The
children, with all of whom he had now become an intimate and a
favourite, roared manfully in full chorus at his departure, and he was
obliged to promise twenty times that he would soon return and play over
all their favourite tunes upon the flageolet till they had got them by
heart. 'Come back again, Captain,' said one little sturdy fellow, 'and
Jenny will be your wife.' Jenny was about eleven years old; she ran and
hid herself behind her mammy.
'Captain, come back,' said a little fat roll-about girl of six, holding
her mouth up to be kissed, 'and I'll be your wife my ainsell.'
'They must be of harder mould than I,' thought Brown, 'who could part
from so many kind hearts with indifference.' The good dame too, with
matron modesty, and an affectionate simplicity that marked the olden
time, offered her cheek to the departing guest. 'It's little the like
of us can do,' she said, 'little indeed; but yet, if there were but ony
thing--'
'Now, my dear Mrs. Dinmont, you embolden me to make a request: would
you but have the kindness to weave me, or work me, just such a grey
plaid as the goodman wears?' He had learned the language and feelings
of the country even during the short time of his residence, and was
aware of the pleasure the request would confer.
'A tait o' woo' would be scarce amang us,' said the goodwife,
brightening, 'if ye shouldna hae that, and as gude a tweel as ever cam
aff a pirn. I'll speak to Johnnie Goodsire, the weaver at the
Castletown, the morn. Fare ye weel, sir! and may ye be just as happy
yoursell as ye like to see a' body else; and that would be a sair wish
to some folk.'
I must not omit to mention that our traveller left his trusty attendant
Wasp to be a guest at Charlie's Hope for a season. He foresaw that he
might prove a troublesome attendant in the event of his being in any
situation where secrecy and concealment might be necessary. He was
therefore consigned to the care of the eldest boy, who promised, in the
words of the old song, that he should have
A bit of his supper, a bit of his bed,
and that he should be engaged in none of those perilous pastimes in
which the race of Mustard and Pepper had suffered frequent mutilation.
Brown now prepared for his journey, having taken a temporary farewell
of his trusty little companion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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