FESTIVITIES CONTINUED. 165 



about, crossed his legs, and then threw them out in 

 opposite directions, shuffled and shook, clashed his 

 heels together, sprang up into the air, and with 

 marvellous rapidity threw himself into every con- 

 ceivable attitude, without once pausing for breath, and 

 all the while keeping most accurate time with the 

 music. This continued for some moments, during 

 which the company was convulsed with laughter, 

 though Rorie himself appeared lost to all around him, 

 carried back possibly to the happy days of his youth, 

 now passed away for ever. 



But at length, when his flushed countenance and 

 loud breathing plainly declared that the old man 

 was becoming exhausted, the music ceased, and the 

 little fellow making his bow to the assembled company, 

 withdrew once more to his dingy corner, and there 

 squatting down, lit up his pipe, to look on with 

 complacency as others stepped forward. On went the 

 dance, sometimes four, sometimes six, or even eight 

 huddled together, where there was scarce space for 

 them to turn round; and the company instead of 

 flagging as the hours passed by, only waxed the more 

 eager and impetuous, until the contagion fairly spread 

 to myself, and roused into emulation by the universal 

 example before me, I ventured to exhibit my powers in 

 a " Reel o' Tulloch." Finding myself however fairly 

 eclipsed, for an English ballroom is no place to 

 acquire Scotch dances, I was not sorry to lead my 

 partner back to the bevy in the corner, and did not 

 repeat the experiment, though Walter danced in a 

 most meritorious fashion whenever time or space could 

 be found. 



About midnight the select few were requested to 

 partake of a supper in the adjoining apartment. We 

 from the Laird's, as the most distinguished, sat at the 



