Sae
time gaed on, till frae a bonny lassie she had grown a gran' leddy,
an' cud win up the hill nae forder, but bude to gang doon o' the
ither side; an' her father was jist near han' daft wi' anxiety to
see her wad. But no! never ane wad she hearken till.
"At last there cam to the hoose--that's Colonsay Castel, up there
--ae day, a yoong man frae Norrawa', the son o' a great nobleman
o' that country; an' wi' him she was some ta'en. He was a fine
man to leuk at, an' he pat them a' to shame at onything that nott
stren'th or skeel. But he was as heumble as he was fit, an' never
teuk ony credit till himsel' for onything 'at he did or was; an'
this she was ill pleased wi', though she cudna help likin' him,
an' made nae banes o' lattin' him see 'at he wasna a'thegither a
scunner till her.
"Weel, ae mornin', verra ear', she gaed oot intill her gairden,
an luikit ower the hedge; an' what sud she see but this same yoong
nobleman tak the bairn frae a puir traivellin' body, help her ower
a dyke, and gie her her bairn again! He was at her ain side in
anither meenute, but he was jist that meenute ahint his tryst, an'
she was in a cauld rage at him. He tried to turn her hert, sayin'
--wad she hae had him no help the puir thing ower the dyke, her
bairnie bein' but a fortnicht auld, an' hersel' unco weak-like? but
my leddy made a mou' as gien she was scunnert to hear sic things
made mention o'. An' was she to stan' luikin' ower the hedge, an'
him convoyin' a beggar wife an' her brat! An' syne to come to her
ohn ever washen his han's! 'Hoot, my leddy,' says he, 'the puir
thing was a human cratur!'--'Gien she had been a God's angel,'
says she, 'ye had no richt to keep me waitin'.
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