You see from this that I had studied French. Indeed, I was much better educated than the majority of my sex, to whom all learning save the simplest was a sealed book. My father had taken interest in me to teach me things, and I even knew where that quotation from Master Shakespeare came which my advocate had used, for my Lord and I had read the plays together and liked them well. Slipping a coin into the horse-boy's hand, I stepped by the side of my horse, patted him a few moments, fondled him to make his acquaintance, wished that I had brought a bit of sugar for him, but made up for that default by my tender usage of him. Then I sprang lightly to the saddle and cantered slowly down the alley. I was entirely familiar with Edinburgh and I easily avoided the main highways, taking alleys and by-streets, until I came to the gate in the city wall which gave out to the east, or Dunbar Road. Doubtless I made a fine sight with my handsome clothes, my easy bearing, my youthful face and my gallant steed. The soldiers at the gate, thinking they had to do with a wealthy gentleman, saluted as I passed, and I took some comfort in acknowledging, with a careless wave of my gauntleted hand, their respective duties. By rights I should have been accompanied by a servant on another horse, but I did not stay long enough to let any question me for that lack, for so soon as I was clear of the town, and a turn of the road hid me from possible observation and scrutiny by the soldiers, I put spurs to my horse. Indeed a word would have been sufficient, but the spurs were upon my boots and I touched him with one. His bound nearly unseated me, by the way. I was minded to distance possible pursuit by putting a long space between me and the town as soon as possible. There were two roads before me that led westerly; one crookedly along the shore, and the other inland a mile or so. The shore road was the more frequented, the broader and better highway; it was also somewhat longer, since it followed the windings of the coast, while that inland, through wooded and farming country and over the hills, was straighter, shorter, and more direct. It was also much less travelled, and therefore I was less apt to meet with question and more apt to avoid pursuit, should any be made. Accordingly, I chose the inland way. The two roads met at a place called Musselburgh, and from thence the way ran directly along the shore to the tavern where I confidently expected to meet my friend. I was an astonishingly good horseman--how I dropped into the masculine in talking of myself, I thought!--and I knew that, if I pushed my horse too hard at the first, he would be spent for the rest of the day. Therefore, after going perhaps five or six miles at a rapid pace, I checked him, and thereafter proceeded in a more reasonable way.