"Mem!--Mem!" cried the girl, breathless with the importance of her intelligence, "tare's Wully Tallas, ta packman in ta kitchen!--He's come a' ta way frae Speymouth sin yesterday. Ta Englishers are a' comin' upon us horse and futs!--horse and futs an' mockell cannons, an' we'll be a' mordered, an' waur!--fat wull we do?" "What say you, girl?" exclaimed the Pensassenach, starting from her chair, and overturning all her meditated comforts in her hurry. "But get out of my way, you senseless fool, I'll speak to the man myself. Dallas! Will Dallas!" cried she, throwing her voice shrilly along the passage, towards the kitchen. "Come this way, Will Dallas, and let me hear your news from your own mouth!" "Comin' mem!" cried the travelling merchant, as he appeared limping along the passage, by no means sorry to be thus called on to unbuckle his budget of news, which he was always ready to dispose of at a much cheaper rate than he generally sold his goods. "Where have you come from, Will Dallas?" cried the Pensassenach; "and what news have ye got?" "Weel, ye see, mem, I hae come straught frae Speymooth, as fast as my heavy pack and this happity lamiter leg o' mine wad let me," replied Dallas. "And my pack's very heavy yee noo, for I've got a grand new stock o' gudes in't." "Well, well! never mind your goods at present!" cried the impatient Pensassenach; "quick! quick! what news have you?" "Od, mem, it wad at no rate do for me no to mind my goods at a' times and at a' saisins," said Dallas. "But touching the news, mem,--the Duke, mem--that is, the Duke o' Cummerland, I mean, crossed the Spey yesterday wi' a' his airmy." "Is it possible?" cried the Pensassenach, her eyes sparkling with delight. "It's quite true, mem, for I seed the whole tott o' them yefeck the passage wi' my ain een," said Dallas. "Ha! tell me, good Dallas, how did they cross?" demanded the lady. "They just fuirded through the Spey, mem, in three grand deveesions, at three different pairts, just for a' the warld as gin ye had been rollin' aff three different pieces o' red ribban, like, at yae time," replied Dallas. "A glorious sight!" cried the Pensassenach. "Aye, truly, ye wad hae said sae had ye seen't, mem," said Dallas; "gin ye had seen them wi' the sun glancin' on their airms, and on the flashin' faem o' the Spey! Every bone o' them got safe across, exceppin yae dragoon that had taen a wee thoughty ower muckle liquor, and fell fae his horse,--and four weemen fouk, wha were whamled out o' a bit cairty, and wha were a' carried down, and a' drooned outright." "Poor wretches!" said the Pensassenach. "But it was well they were not men: their lives were comparatively but little worth."