386 NETHER LOCHABER. 



there must bo, if we only know enough of the animal's economy to 

 yet at it. 



But wo miiat stop ; for liark ! an itinerant fiddler has this 

 moment struck up " liub of Fottercairn " just in front of our study 

 window. Ho plays admirably too, lovingly caressing the polished 

 base of his instrument — his bread-winner, jtoor follow — with his 

 wan and withered cheek, and wielding a powerful, yot light and 

 delicate, bow-hand ; and wo must go and liavo a crack with him. 

 Nor must you sneer at us for so doing, gracious reader. Tlio 

 arrival even of a peripatetic, outat-elbows fiddler is an event of 

 some importanci; in such a place as this on a cold, grey November 

 afternoon. We shall order him a big bowl of tea, with something 

 to oat, satisfied that if in so doing we are not entertaining' an angel 

 unawares (though there is no reason that we know of why an angol 

 should not appear in peripatetic liildler guise, as well as in any 

 other form), wo are at all events entertaining one who by his 

 appearance manifestly needs sometliing warm and comfortable, and 

 a little rest by a cheerful fireside at this season, not forjjetting the 

 wliile that he is a capital fiddler — of some intelligence, too, ami 

 full of capital stories wo warrant him. Depend upon it that 

 Homer, who was after all but an inspired gahorlumie, has many a 

 time and oft appeared in quite as sorry a plight, and with as little 

 externally to recommend him as this same itinerant fiddler ; and 

 think how proud and glad you and we should be to have a chance 

 of entertaining the blind old Chian, wandering ballnd-ninger as ho 

 was ! You must, therefore, let us have our way with this ])oor 

 old man, who, by the way, is not blind, but, on the contrary, has u 

 good large dark brown eye of his own, so common, we have noticed, 

 in people musically inclined, that it may bo called tlu^ musical oyo ; 

 and if he is all wo take him for, and he and wo got on well to- 

 gether, you may perhaps hoar of him again. 



