336 THE JOURNEYMAN. 



disappointment on the goor Spaniards, and filled a 

 great box with doubloons. On his return to Cromarty 

 he found Jean very poor and a widow, the man of her 

 choice had been worthless and a spendthrift, and had 

 only courted her for her money. John, who had never 

 ceased to love her, liked her none the worse for her 

 poverty ; and as she had now no lover but himself, she 

 very wisely married him, though he was not only as 

 ugly and red-haired as ever, but very much sunburnt 

 to boot. And here they lived for about fifty years, 

 exceedingly well pleased with each other to the last. 

 My room is, as I have said, a little one, its small dull- 

 paned windows are half buried in the thatch, and there 

 is no getting in at the door without making a very pro- 

 found bow indeed; and yet, little and rude as it is, 

 John Feddes has been as happy in it as ever Caesar was. 

 And I have been very happy in it too ; never happier, 

 however, than when perusing your kind, kind letter. 

 You know I am quiet in all my feelings quiet in my 

 very enthusiasm ; but do not imagine that the stream is 

 as shallow as it is noiseless. Do believe that there is 

 both depth and power in at least those feelings of affec- 

 tionate gratitude of which you yourself are the object. 



' I had only left you for about half an hour, when 

 the clouds began to lower on every side of me, as if 

 sky and earth were coming together, and the rain to 

 descend in torrents. The great forest of Darnaway 

 appeared blue, and dark, as if greeting the heavens 

 with a scowl as angry as their own ; and there was a 

 low, long wreath of vapour that went creeping over it 

 like a huge snake. And how the wind did roar ! I 

 thought with Lear's fool, that 'twas truly " a naughty 

 night to swim in :" and when taking shelter for a few 

 minutes under the arch of a bridge, I wished I could 



