When the truth came to be discovered, many puzzled themselves endeavouring to guess what Charlie would actually have done had he known by the way what a treasure he had in his arms,--the greatest beauty, and the greatest heiress in England;--for Charlie was as notable for kindness and generosity as he was for bodily strength; and, besides, he was poor, as he frankly acknowledged; but then he only wished for riches to be able to keep more men for the service of his chief. Some thought he would have turned his horse round without further ceremony, and carried her straight to Yardbire, on purpose to keep her there for a wife; others thought he would have risked his neck, honour, and every thing, and restored her again to her friends. But it was impossible for any of them to guess what he would have done, as it was proved afterwards that Charlie could not guess himself. When the truth came to be divulged, and was first told to him, his mouth, besides becoming amazingly extended in its dimensions, actually grew four-square with astonishment; and when asked what he would have done had he known, he smacked his lips, and wiped them with the back of his hand as if his teeth had been watering--and, laughing to himself with a chuckling sound, like a moor-cock, he turned about his back to conceal his looks, and only answered with these emphatic words: "Gude faith, it was as weel I didna ken." CHAPTER VI. Some write of preclair conquerouris, And some of vallyeant emperouris, And some of nobill mychtie kingis, That royally did reull the ringis; And some of squyris douchty deidis, That wonderis wrocht in weirly weidis; Sa I intand the best I can Descryve the deidis and the man. SIR DAV. LINDSAYE. Wald God I war now in Pitcary! Becass I haif bene se ill deidy. Adew! I dar na langer tairy, I dreid I waif intill ane widdy. _Ibid._