Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 02
General
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 02
Scottish Borders (Scotland) -- Fiction
From this moment Donald became a universal favourite in the room, and
the established lion of the night. Where-ever he went he was surrounded
with an admiring group, and was overloaded with civilities of all kinds,
including frequent offers of refreshment; so that he speedily found
himself in most excellent quarters. There was, however, one drawback in
his happiness. He could get no share in the dancing excepting what he
chose to perform solus, as there was nothing in that way to be seen in
the room in the shape of a reel, nor was there a single tune played of
which he could make either head or tail--nothing but "your foreign
trash, with neither spunk nor music in them." Determined, however,
since his highland fling had been so much approved of, to give a
specimen of the highland reel, if he could possibly make it out, Donald,
as a first step, looked around him for a partner; and seeing a very
handsome girl seated in one of the corners of the apartment, and
apparently disengaged, he made up to her, and, making one of his best bows,
solicited the honour of her joining him in a reel. Without understanding
the language in which she was addressed, but guessing that it conveyed
an invitation to the floor, the young lady at once arose and curtsied an
acquiescence, when Donald, taking her gallantly by the hand, led her up
to the front of the orchestra, in order that he might bespeak the
appropriate music for the particular species of dance he contemplated.
On approaching sufficiently near to the musicians--
"Fittlers," he shouted, at the top of his voice, "I say, can you'll kive
us 'Rothiemurchus' Rant,' or the 'Trucken Wives of Fochabers?'"
Then turning to his partner, and flinging his arms about her neck in an
ecstasy of Highland excitation, capering at the same time hilariously in
anticipation of the coming strain--
"Them's the tunes, my lass, for putting mettle in your heels."
A scream from the lady with whom Donald was using these unwarrantable
personal liberties, and a violent attempt on her part to escape
from them, suddenly arrested Donald's hilarity, and excited his
utmost surprise. In the next instant he was surrounded by at least
half-a-dozen angry cavaliers, amongst whom there was a brandishing of
swords and much violent denunciation, all directed against Donald, and
excited by his unmannerly rudeness to a lady. It was some seconds before
Donald could comprehend the meaning of all this wrath, or believe that
he was at once the cause and the object of it. But on this becoming
plain--
"Well, shentlemen," he said, "I did not mean anything wrong. No offence
at all to the girl. It was just the fashion of my country; and I'm sorry
for it."
To this apology of Donald's, of which, of course, not a word was
understood, the only reply was a more fierce flourishing of brands, and
a greater volubility and vehemence of abuse; the effect of which was at
once to arouse Donald's choler, and to urge him headlong on extremities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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