OCTOBER 287 



Bismarck began to laugh ; but Peter, 

 who had been speaking in a simple 

 matter-of-fact tone, though a little sadly, 

 looked at him with an expression which 

 put a check on mirth. 



" Pardon me," said my friend, softly ; 

 and fell silent. 



"Tut, tut!" exclaimed Peter, as if 

 suddenly conscious that the spirits of the 

 company had drooped, and rising lithely 

 from his chair. " The glasses, John 

 fill up ! We'll have a song." 



"Words and music by mysel'," he 

 said, having tuned his violin, which he 

 had fetched from a corner of the room. 

 " They cam' into my head a minute ago. 

 No' grand opera, ye ken ; but a' richt 

 in spirit, I think. Ilka verse carries its 

 ain chorus the last twa lines." 



Then he sang to a lilting air : 



O bonnie is the August day 



As any day in Spring 

 IVTien oer the heather, brae to brae, 



The young grouse take the wing ! 



