CHRISTOPHER IN HIS SPORTING JACKET 



Grander in its wildness, that seemed to sweep at once 

 all the swinging and stooping woods, to our ear, be- 

 cause his too listened, the concerto by winds and 

 waves played at midnight, when not one star was 

 in the sky. With him we first followed the Falcon 

 in her flight — he showed us on the Echo-clifF the 

 Eagle's eyry. To the thicket he led us where lay 

 couched the lovely-spotted Doe, or showed us the 

 mild-eyed creature browsing on the glade with her 

 two fawns at her side. But for him we should not 

 then have seen the antlers of the red-deer, for the 

 Forest was indeed a most savage place, and haunted 

 — such was the superstition at which they who scorned 

 it trembled — haunted by the ghost of a huntsman 

 whom a jealous rival had murdered as he stooped, 

 after the chase, at a little mountain well that ever 

 since oozed out blood. What converse passed between 

 us two in all those still shadowy solitudes! Into what 

 depths of human nature did he teach our wondering 

 eyes to look down ! Oh ! what was to become of us, we 

 sometimes thought in sadness that all at once made 

 our spirits sink — like a lark falling suddenly to earth, 

 struck by the fear of some unwonted shadow from 

 above — what was to become of us when the mandate 

 should arrive for him to leave the Manse for ever, 

 and sail away in a ship to India never more to re- 

 turn! Ever as that dreaded day drew nearer, more 

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