But I told him that was bad sense though good wit—because in the hills we shore not the lambs till they had grown to be sheep. ’Ay, well,’ said the Sheriff, twinkling with his eyes, ’shear my son Patrick there, for he is now sheep-muckle, and has been so silly as to mix himself with the unruly folk of Carrick.’ I had indeed great pleasure in the house of Lochnaw. It is a fair place, with walls, moats, and drawbridges all about—very proper for defence—so that there be no artillery set against it. But to my thinking the mounds might now very well be levelled and turned into walks and terraces, as has been done at Culzean. I sat down daily with the family at table, and was in all respects as one of them. For the Sheriff said, ’Ye are not to be strange with us—for my wife comes from within sight of Kirrieoch Hill, and likes dearly to listen to the tongue of the muirland border folk.’ ’Ay,’ said my Lady Agnew, for I will not call her the old lady, seeing that she had kept the heart that was within her young, ’ay, and I have not seen any folk to better them on these fat, profitable Rhynns.’ ’That,’ said the Sheriff, ’was what I thought when I went to the Minnoch side for a wife.’ And very gallantly he lifted his wife’s hand to his lips, like the noble and courtly gentleman he was. And to this day the Agnews have ever been proud of their wives. And with reason. ’Hearken to these young folk,’ said Lady Agnew, as the noise and tumult of much laughter and daffing came up to us. ’Hark to them. Is it not good to be young?’ ’And therefore it is good to be my Lady of Lochnaw!’ said I, for I determined to show that there were folk in Carrick that could be gallant as well as Galloway Agnews. ’Hoot, Culzean,’ cried the Lady Agnew, ’how have ye brought up your squire, that he cannot see a well-looking woman, but on the instant he maun begin to court her?’ ’What,’ cried my master, ’the regardless loon—and that before her husband’s face, too!’ ’That, at least, is not a Galloway fault, at ony gate,’ said the Sheriff, smiling, ’for Galloway ever behaves itself before folk, and courts only behind backs and slily by the licht of the moon.’ ’Ye talk havers, Andrew,’ said his wife. ’Never did I meet you behind backs all the days of our courting.’ ’Na,’ said the Sheriff, ’but your father, honest man, was sair troubled with deafness, and your mother was blind, and lame o’ a leg forbye.’ ’Haud your tongue, guidman. Have some mense afore the young man, for he looks a sober chiel and blate. What should he have to do with lasses? At his years!’ Here Nell Kennedy broke out in peal on peal of laughter, and when they asked her the reason,— ’It was but at Launcelot’s face when my lady praises him for being blate. He looks as innocent as our grey cat Grimalkin, when she has eaten all the fish for supper.’