208 REMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



mannered, gentle creatures ; but then Scotch- 

 women, as a rule, are nice, and they really do 

 love dancing for dancing sake ; and you used 

 to see their eyes glisten again as Thomas 

 McKay, Sir M.'s piper, blew up the pipes for 

 the Eeel of TuUoch. I believe he would have 

 warmed up even the givers of the farewell 

 soiree I lately spoke of with that reel. 



A word about this said piper, for he is 

 worthy of it, and was a great ally of mine. 

 He was a slim, handsome fellow, as many — 

 perhaps most — pipers are. He had one of the 

 best figures I ever saw, with a quick, ready, 

 glancing eye, that could take any humour it 

 pleased ; I never saw a more naturally graceful 

 creature. He was a universal favourite : as for 

 the women, I never saw one, young or old, 

 that did not turn to have a look at him as he 

 passed, and the more they looked at him the 

 more they liked him. There is some old song 

 ringing in my ear that I have heard sung 

 somewhere — 



" Oh wasna he a Koguie, a Hoguie, a E-oguie, 

 The piper frae Dundee." 



Now, don't mistake, or fancy that " roguie " 

 means a rogue — '' roguie *' means a good, dear, 

 insinuating, pleasant, light-hearted, devil-may- 



