RORIE "THE POST." 157 



move with perfect ease, and yet so good and true were 

 their ears, that their every motion, to the very clinking 

 of their heels, corresponded with the exactness of 

 clockwork. 



The two men who first stood up were fine specimens 

 of the Highlander. Though in years but striplings, 

 they were both above six feet in height, with shoulders 

 broad and stalwart in proportion; and when they 

 warmed with the excitement, and each wildly tossed 

 one arm in the air, while with the other he whirled 

 round a winsome lassie, they presented a picture worthy 

 the canvass of a master. On the music ceasing, the 

 reel terminated, and there was a general call for Eorie. 

 Who Eorie was I of course was ignorant ; but I was 

 not destined to remain long in the dark; for very 

 speedily a small dingy object rolled himself out of a 

 corner dingy as himself, and to my surprise and 

 no small annoyance, I recognised in the quaint little 

 being before me none other than our postman, who 

 should have been several miles further on his road 

 with our letters, to meet the southward mail. Unable 

 however, miscreant that he was, to resist the temptation 

 of the wedding festivities, he had laid aside for the 

 nonce the character of postman, and left the letter-bags 

 to shift for themselves, utterly regardless of the fact 

 that they would now be too late for the present mail, 

 and consequently delayed three days longer, to await 

 the departure of the next. Borie's misdeeds however 

 had long been dealt with too leniently ; and though he 

 rather quailed in our presence, he seemed resolved 

 to put the best face on the matter, and brave it out. 

 His travelling costume being somewhat of the coarsest, 

 he had tried to improve his personal appearance by 

 discarding for the evening a huge weather-proof pilot- 



