Idly supreme, Portlossie the upper
looked down in condescension, that is in half concealed contempt,
on the ant heap below it.
The evening arrived on which the greater part of the boats was to
put off for the first assay. Malcolm would have made one in the
little fleet, for he belonged to his friend Joseph Mair's crew,
had it not been found impossible to get the new boat ready before
the following evening; whence, for this one more, he was still his
own master, with one more chance of a pleasure for which he had
been on the watch ever since Lady Florimel had spoken of having a
row in his boat. True, it was not often she appeared on the shore
in the evening; nevertheless he kept watching the dune with his
keen eyes, for he had hinted to Mrs Courthope that perhaps her
young lady would like to see the boats go out.
Although it was the fiftieth time his eyes had swept the links in
vague hope, he could hardly believe their testimony when now at
length he spied a form, which could only be hers, looking seaward
from the slope, as still as a sphinx on Egyptian sands.
He sauntered slowly towards her by the landward side of the dune,
gathering on his way a handful of the reddest daisies he could
find; then, ascending the sandhill, approached her along the top.
"Saw ye ever sic gowans in yer life, my leddy?" he said, holding
out his posy.
"Is that what you call them?" she returned.
"Ow ay, my leddy--daisies ye ca' them. I dinna ken but yours is
the bonnier name o' the twa--gien it be what Mr Graham tells me
the auld poet Chaucer maks o' 't.
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