whistle ye a bit tune.” And with that he leaned pretty far over the table, and in a mere breath of a whistle, but with a wonderful pretty sentiment, gave her a few bars of “Charlie is my darling.”
“Wheesht,” says she, and looked ever her shoulder to the door.
“That’s it,” said Alan.
“And him so young!” cries the lass.
“He’s old enough to” and Alan struck his forefinger on the back part of his neck, meaning that I was old enough to lose my head.
“It would be a black shame,” she cried, flushing high.
“It’s what will be, though,” said Alan, “unless we manage the better.”
At this the lass turned and ran out of that part of the house, leaving us alone together. Alan in high good humour at the furthering of his schemes, and I in bitter dudgeon at being called a Jacobite and treated like a child.
“Alan,” I cried, “I can stand no more of this.”
“Ye’ll have to sit it then, Davie,” said he. “For if ye upset the pot now, ye may scrape your own life out of the fire, but Alan Breck is a dead man.”
This was so true that I could only groan; and even my groan served Alan’s purpose, for it was overheard by the lass as she came flying in again with a dish of white puddings and a bottle of strong ale.
“Poor lamb!” says she, and had no sooner set the
