IN ASSYNT. 163 



edge to flash like uncertain fairy gold. It was certainly an un- 

 canny spot to Ronald. His heart had been pierced, not by 

 any malignant twilight beldame, but by a comely lassie with bare 

 .ancles and loosely snooded hair, who was daily busied " hag- 

 ging the peat" amongst the little stacks on our right. An 

 artistic eye could not help noticing the flashing of those ancles 

 against the black heaps of peat ; but we soon saw poor Ronald's 

 -cheek change colour as he saw her perhaps ourselves having 

 been winged with a kindred flame in the south country while 

 the lassie was evidently pleased to draw nearer by ten yards, 

 and exchange (as our erstwhile lover's eye told us) the least glance 

 of sympathy with the blushing Ronald. It was the fairy tale of 

 youth and hope told over again in the sunshine of this lovely 

 Highland strath, and the song instantly came into our mind, 



" At kirk or at market, whene'er ye meet me, 

 Gang by me as though that ye cared na a flee ; 

 But steal me a blink o' your bonnie black ee, 

 Yet look as ye were na lookin' at me, 

 Yet look as ye were na lookin' at me. " 



We trust that teetotallers will now applaud us for the virtuous 

 action of stopping every time we passed and, even when the 

 flask was dry, drinking unconscionable draughts of the cold 

 water in the bed of the stream, while Ronald, on the stone 

 bridge above, had this time (as we ascertained by Tom of 

 Coventry's peeping craft) to reply, with many a wave of the 

 hand, to the blooming damsel's salutations some hundred yards 

 off in the wet peat hag. How opportune must he have thought 

 our thirst ! May Ourania Aphrodite be propitious to us in like 

 need ! How easy to picture, when far away, that they are now 

 happily married. Ronald had a few savings we discovered, and 

 though the girl's father, doubtless some neighbouring shepherd, 

 would deprecate a hasty match (every true love ought to be 

 crossed at least once), she would be sure to win consolation 

 from her mother, if the old Border song be true, 



