ftbomas TTob Stofcfcart 495 



He knew that the Strath was full of tempting waters, and 

 that Highland proprietors had not yet discovered their 

 value in the Southern market. His rod and he would 

 have kindly access to all, or nearly all ; so he made up 

 his mind for a prolonged halt in the cosy farmhouse, 

 which was inn as well. Some girls were playing 

 1 bedgels ' on the road in front of the house, and as he 

 turned to the handsome old farmer at the door, he turned 

 at the sound of their laughter to watch them for a 

 moment. That moment sealed his fate. They were 

 such a bevy of girls as one seldom sees, tall, straight, and 

 graceful, with faces little short of beautiful ; and one of 

 them, ' more than common tall,' with arched black eye- 

 brows, grey eyes, and a cloud of raven hair riveted his 

 gaze. The girls had taken no notice of the traveller at 

 first, but finding him rapt in admiration of 'Bessadh,' 

 they took to their heels like a herd of startled deer and 

 fled round the end of the house. Here was a poet's 

 destiny sprung on him, as it should be, from an ambush 

 primevally planned. He stayed at Contin about three 

 weeks, making acquaintance not only with the streams 

 and lochs, but with the family at the farm. It was not 

 very easy to pursue his wooing, because Bessie either 

 took to her heels or relapsed into Gaelic at his slightest 

 advance, and as he was genuinely in love, he had to take 

 the father into his confidence and win his help. Old 

 Mr. Macgregor's help was somewhat misleading at times, 

 as he did not very well understand the Sassenach wooer 

 himself, and the Gaelic compliments with which he 

 furnished him gave their object a firm impression that 

 her admirer was a lunatic. Time however convinced 



