"Troth is there," said the landlord; "your honour is right,--there is sic
a fleeing rumour; but, in my puir opinion, it's lang or the deil die. I
wad hae the folks here look to themsells. If he makes an outbreak, he'll
be doun frae the Hielands or I could drink this glass,--and whare are
they then? A' thae hell-rakers o' dragoons wad be at his whistle in a
moment. Nae doubt they're Willie's men e'en now, as they were James's a
while syne; and reason good,--they fight for their pay; what else hae
they to fight for? They hae neither lands nor houses, I trow. There's ae
gude thing o' the change, or the Revolution, as they ca' it,--folks may
speak out afore thae birkies now, and nae fear o' being hauled awa to the
guard-house, or having the thumikins screwed on your finger-ends, just as
I wad drive the screw through a cork."
There was a little pause, when Morton, feeling confident in the progress
he had made in mine host's familiarity, asked, though with the hesitation
proper to one who puts a question on the answer to which rests something
of importance, "Whether Blane knew a woman in that neighbourhood called
Elizabeth Maclure?"
"Whether I ken Bessie Maclure?" answered the landlord, with a landlord's
laugh,--"How can I but ken my ain wife's (haly be her rest!)--my ain
wife's first gudeman's sister, Bessie Maclure? An honest wife she is, but
sair she's been trysted wi' misfortunes,--the loss o' twa decent lads o'
sons, in the time o' the persecution, as they ca' it nowadays; and
doucely and decently she has borne her burden, blaming nane and
condemning nane.
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