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I am no advocate of despotism." "Weel then," continued the farmer with energy, "in the year saxteen forty-ane, an' at ither times, kings an' parliaments hae stamped the Covenants o' Scotland as bein' pairt o' the law o' this land whereby freedom o' conscience an' Presbyterian worship are secured to us a'. An' here comes Chairles the Second an' breks the law by sendin' that scoondrel the Duke o' Lauderdale here wi' full poors to dae what he likes an' Middleton, a man wi' nae heart an' less conscience, that was raised up frae naething to be a noble, nae less!
One thing he could never succeed in making her understand, how, since it was sixty pounds he borrowed, it could be eighty pounds he owed. Then once more she promised him her protection, bade him be of good cheer, and left him. At the door she turned, and said: "Chairles, here's an auld wife seeking ye," and vanished. These two young people had fallen acquainted at a Newhaven wedding.
"Pars minima est ipsa puella sui!" His lordship stepped up to her, took off his hat, and said: "Will Mrs. Gatty take from me a commission for two pictures, as big as herself, and as bonny?" added he, doing a little Scotch. He handed her a check; and, turning to Gatty, added, "At your convenience, sir, bien entendu." "Hech! it's for five hundred pund, Chairles."
If ye ken the history o' yer ain country whilk I misdoot ye would ken that the Parliaments o' baith Scotland an' England have laid it doon, in declaration and in practice, that resistance to the exercise o' arbitrary power is lawfu', therefore resistance to Chairles and you, his shameless flunkeys, is nae mair rebellion than it's rebellion in a cat to flee in the face o' a bull-doug that wants to worry her kittens.
I could paint the Devil pea-green!" "Dinna speak o' yon lad, Chairles, it's no canny." "No! I am going to paint an angel; the prettiest, cleverest girl in Scotland, 'The Snowdrop of the North." And he dashed into his bedroom to find a canvas. "Hech!" reflected Christie. "Thir Ennglish hae flattering tongues, as sure as Dethe; 'The Snawdrap o' the Norrth!"
At sight of them she took out the banknotes, and with eyes glistening and cheeks flushing she cried: "Oh, Chairles, ye'll no gang to jail I hae the siller!" and she offered him the money with both hands, and a look of tenderness and modesty that embellished human nature.
My word, nobles are easy made, but they're no' sae easy unmade! An' this Lauderdale maks a cooncil wi' Airchbishop Sherp a traiter and a turncoat an' a wheen mair like himsel', and they send sodgers oot ower the land to eat us up an' cram Prelacy doon oor throats, an' curates into oor poo'pits whether we wull or no'. An' that though Chairles himsel' signed the Covenant at the time he was crooned!
"Chairles," said she, gravely. "Christie," said he, uneasily. "Your mother does na like me. Oh, ye need na deny it; and we are na together as we used to be, my lad." "She is prejudiced; but she has been the best of mothers to me, Christie." "Aweel." "Circumstances compel me to return to England." "Aweel, Chairles, it will no be for lang."
"This is a new step on the downward path," said the poor painter. "Is it no an orrder to paint the young prence?" said Christie, faintly. "No!" almost shrieked the victim. "It's a writ! I owe a lot of money. "Oh, Chairles!" "See! I borrowed sixty pounds six months ago of a friend, so now I owe eighty!"
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