"
"In what manner, Mistress Grant?" I asked. "I trust I have never
seemed to fail in due respect."
"I will be your surety, Mr, David," said she. "Your respect,
whether to yourself or your poor neighbours, has been always and
most fortunately beyond imitation. But that is by the question.
You got a note from me?" she asked.
"I was so bold as to suppose so upon inference," said I, "and it
was kindly thought upon."
"It must have prodigiously surprised you," said she. "But let us
begin with the beginning. You have not perhaps forgot a day when
you were so kind as to escort three very tedious misses to Hope
Park? I have the less cause to forget it myself, because you was
so particular obliging as to introduce me to some of the principles
of the Latin grammar, a thing which wrote itself profoundly on my
gratitude."
"I fear I was sadly pedantical," said I, overcome with confusion at
the memory. "You are only to consider I am quite unused with the
society of ladies."
"I will say the less about the grammar then," she replied. "But
how came you to desert your charge? 'He has thrown her out,
overboard, his ain dear Annie!'" she hummed; "and his ain dear
Annie and her two sisters had to taigle home by theirselves like a
string of green geese! It seems you returned to my papa's, where
you showed yourself excessively martial, and then on to realms
unknown, with an eye (it appears) to the Bass Rock; solan geese
being perhaps more to your mind than bonny lasses.
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