Angus. A sprightly wench; who would imagine her a Child of the Mist; she might well be heiress of all Scotland, with her gracious ways, and little hands and feet. Beware, cousin; she is not for one of your rank. But tell me, whom have you here?

Menteith. Sibbald, you know, and Anderson, a better kind of person, a sort of gentleman, whom I always like to have near my person. [Enter Donald, the seneschal.

Angus. Well, Donald, what now?

Donald. A shentleman waits without, your lordship; she craves hospitality.

Angus. What sort of person? Well, in any case, admit him.

[Looks at his weapons. Enter Dalgetty, salutes. Angus. May I be permitted to ask whom I have the good fortune to address?

Dalgetty. Truly, my lord; my name is Dalgetty, -Dugald Dalgetty, Rittmaster Dugald Dalgetty of Drumthwacket, at your honorable service to command. Angus. In these unsettled times it behooves us to learn the antecedents of our guests more fully than the laws of hospitality would allow in times of peace. Dalgetty. Indubitably, my lord. My father, you must know, having by unthrifty courses reduced a patrimony to a nonentity, I had no better shift when I came of age than to carry the learning whilk I had acquired at the Mareschal College of Aberdeen, my gentle bluid, and designation of Drumthwacket, together with a pair of stalwart arms and legs to conform, to the German wars, there to push my way as a cavalier of fortune. Menteith. And doubtless you have seen service?

some hot

[Exit Donald.

Dalgetty. Surely, my lord, it doth not become me to speak. Suffice to say that I rose to be lieutenant and rittmaster under that invincible monarch, the bulwark of the Protestant faith, the lion of the North, the terror of Austria, Gustavus Adolphus the victorious!

Angus. Captain Dalgetty, I salute you!

Menteith. I should think that a cavalier of your honorable mark would not hesitate to embrace the cause of King Charles in preference to that of the low-born, round-headed knaves who are rebelling against him.

Dalgetty. You speak reasonably, my lord, and cæteris paribus (as we used to say at the Mareschal College of Aberdeen) I might be induced to see the matter in the same light. But, my lord, there is a Spanish proverb whilk in the vernacular may be rendered, "Fine words butter no parsnips." I have heard enough to satisfy me that my honor is free to take any part in this civil embroilment whilk I may find most convenient. "Loyalty" is your pass-word, my lord; "Liberty," roars another cheild from the other side of the strath; "The King! shouts one war-cry; "The Parliament!" roars another; "Montrose forever!" shouts Donald; "Argyle!" cries a south country Saunders.

Menteith. And pray, Captain Dalgetty, by what circumstances will your preference be determined?

Dalgetty. Simply upon two considerations, my lord: first, if your damnable Highland modes of warfare could be brought into any civilized shape; and second, whilk party will be the most likely to requite my services gratefully.

Menteith. And what objection make you to our Highland methods, then?

Dalgetty. Simply this, my lord. Here is a sort of Highland host assembled in the King's behalf. I will not deny them to be a people courageous enough in their own wild way of fighting; but they have no sae mickle as a German whistle to beat a march, a retreat, or any other point of war, and their damnable skirling pipes, whilk they themselves pretend to understand, are unintelligible to the ears of any cavaliers accustomed to civilized warfare. And were I undertaking to discipline. such a breechless mob (who pay only to their lairds that obedience whilk ought to be paid to commissionate officers), and were teaching them to form battalia by extracting the square root, what return could I expect for communicating this golden secret of military tactic, except it may be a dirk in my wame on placing some MacAlister More, McShemei, or Capperfae in the flank, who claimed to be in the van?

[During this discourse Anderson enters at the back. Men

teith speaks aside with him.

Menteith (to Dalgetty). I think I could promise you a position as major, to drill and command Irish levies.

Dalgetty. I should like nothing better. The Irish are pretty fellows, - very pretty fellows; I once saw a brigade under the immortal Gustavus, the lion of the North, the bulwark of the Protestant faith

Menteith. Pardon, Captain Dalgetty, time presses, and we have yet to broach the question of pay. I can offer you half a dollar a day, and the other half at the end of the campaign.

Dalgetty. The devil take these halves and arrearages. But yet, if my natural hereditament of Drumthwacket has fallen into the hands of these covenanters, I have