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Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894

"Catriona"

"
"This is to let the cat out of the bag, indeed," thought I. And
that was the general impression. It was extraordinary how the
young advocate lads took hold and made a mock of this speech, and
how scarce a meal passed but what someone would get in the words:
"And then you might have been satiated." Many songs were made in
time for the hour's diversion, and are near all forgot. I remember
one began:

"What do ye want the bluid of, bluid of?
Is it a name, or is it a clan,
Or is it an aefauld Hielandman,
That ye want the bluid of, bluid of?"

Another went to my old favourite air, The House of Airlie, and
began thus:

"It fell on a day when Argyle was on the bench,
That they served him a Stewart for his denner."

And one of the verses ran:

"Then up and spak' the Duke, and flyted on his cook,
I regard it as a sensible aspersion,
That I would sup ava', an' satiate my maw,
With the bluid of ony clan of my aversion."

James was as fairly murdered as though the Duke had got a fowling-
piece and stalked him. So much of course I knew: but others knew
not so much, and were more affected by the items of scandal that
came to light in the progress of the cause.


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