pass　in　a　country　where　they　are　less　lavish　of　their　land　for　two　or　three　more。　Being　somewhat　afraid　of　the　fatigue　of　walking　so　far；　I　inquired　if　a　horse　or　any　sort　of　carriage　was　to　be　had；　and　was　answered　in　the　negative。
  〃But；〃　said　my　cicerone；　〃you　may　halt　a　blink　till　next　morning　at　the　Treddles　Arms；　a　very　decent　house；　scarce　a　mile　off。〃
  〃A　new　house；　I　suppose？〃　　replied　I。
  〃No；　it's　a　new　public；　but　it's　an　auld　house；　it　was　aye　the　Leddy's　jointure…house　in　the　Croftangry　folk's　time。　　But　Mr。　Treddles　has　fitted　it　up　for　the　convenience　of　the　country；　poor　man；　he　was　a　public…spirited　man　when　he　had　the　means。〃
  〃Duntarkin　a　public…house！〃　　I　exclaimed。
  〃Ay！〃　　said　the　fellow；　surprised　at　my　naming　the　place　by　its　former　title；　〃ye'll　hae　been　in　this　country　before；　I'm　thinking？〃
  〃Long　since；〃　I　replied。　　〃And　there　is　good　accommodation　at　the　what…d'ye…call…'em　arms；　and　a　civil　landlord？〃　　This　I　said　by　way　of　saying　something；　for　the　man　stared　very　hard　at　me。
  〃Very　decent　accommodation。　　Ye'll　no　be　for　fashing　wi'　wine；　I'm　thinking；　and　there's　walth　o'　porter；　ale；　and　a　drap　gude　whisky〃　（in　an　undertone）〃Fairntoshif　you　call　get　on　the　lee…side　of　the　gudewifefor　there　is　nae　gudeman。　　They　ca'　her　Christie　Steele。〃
  I　almost　started　at　the　sound。　　Christie　Steele！　　Christie　Steele　was　my　mother's　body…servant；　her　very　right　hand；　and；　between　ourselves；　something　like　a　viceroy　over　her。　　I　recollected　her　perfectly；　and　though　she　had　in　former　times　been　no　favourite　of　mine；　her　name　now　sounded　in　my　ear　like　that　of　a　friend；　and　was　the　first　word　I　had　heard　somewhat　in　unison　with　the　associations　around　me。　　I　sallied　from　Castle　Treddles；　determined　to　make　the　best　of　my　way　to　Duntarkin；　and　my　cicerone　hung　by　me　for　a　little　way；　giving　loose　to　his　love　of　talkingan　opportunity　which；　situated　as　he　was；　the　seneschal　of　a　deserted　castle；　was　not　likely　to　occur　frequently。
  〃Some　folk　think；〃　said　my　companion；　〃that　Mr。　Treddles　might　as　weel　have　put　my　wife　as　Christie　Steele　into　the　Treddles　Arms；　for　Christie　had　been　aye　in　service；　and　never　in　the　public　line；　and　so　it's　like　she　is　ganging　back　in　the　world；　as　I　hear。　　Now；　my　wife　had　keepit　a　victualling　office。〃
  〃That　would　have　been　an　advantage；　certainly；〃　I　replied。
  〃But　I　am　no　sure　that　I　wad　ha'　looten　Eppie　take　it；　if　they　had　put　it　in　her　offer。〃
  〃That's　a　different　consideration。〃
  〃Ony　way；　I　wadna　ha'　liked　to　have　offended　Mr。　Treddles。　　He　was　a　wee　toustie　when　you　rubbed　him　again　the　hair；　but　a　kind；　weel…meaning　man。〃
  I　wanted　to　get　rid　of　this　species　of　chat；　and　finding　myself　near　the　entrance　of　a　footpath　which　made　a　short　cut　to　Duntarkin；　I　put　half　a　crown　into　my　guide's　hand；　bade　him　good…evening；　and　plunged　into　the　woods。
  〃Hout；　sirfie；　sirno　from　the　like　of　you。　　Stay；　sir；　ye　wunna　find　the　way　that　gate。Odd's　mercy；　he　maun　ken　the　gate　as　weel　as　I　do　mysel'。　　Weel；　I　wad　Iike　to　ken　wha　the　chield　is。〃
  Such　were　the　last　words　of　my　guide's　drowsy；　uninteresting　tone　of　voice　and　glad　to　be　rid　of　him；　I　strode　out　stoutly；　in　despite　of　large　stones；　briers；　and　BAD　STEPS；　which　abounded　in　the　road　I　had　chosen。　　In　the　interim；　I　tried　as　much　as　I　could；　with　verses　from　Horace　and　Prior；　and　all　who　have　lauded　the　mixture　of　literary　with　rural　life；　to　call　back　the　visions　of　last　night　and　this　morning；　imagining　myself　settled　in　same　detached　farm　of　the　estate　of　Glentanner；
  〃Which　sloping　hills　around　enclose　　　　Where　many　a　birch　and　brown　oak　grows；〃
  when　I　should　have　a　cottage　with　a　small　library；　a　small　cellar；　a　spare　bed　for　a　friend；　and　live　more　happy　and　more　honoured　than　when　I　had　the　whole　barony。　　But　the　sight　of　Castle　Treddles　had　disturbed　all　my　own　castles　in　the　air。　　The　realities　of　the　matter；　like　a　stone　plashed　into　a　limpid　fountain；　had　destroyed　the　reflection　of　the　objects　around；　which；　till　this　act　of　violence；　lay　slumbering　on　the　crystal　surface；　and　I　tried　in　vain　to　re…establish　the　picture　which　had　been　so　rudely　broken。　　Well；　then；　I　would　try　it　another　way。　　I　would　try　to　get　Christie　Steele　out　of　her　PUBLIC；　since　she　was　not　striving　in　it；　and　she　who　had　been　my　mother's　governante　should　be　mine。　　I　knew　all　her　faults；　and　I　told　her　history　over　to　myself。
  She　was　grand…daughter；　I　believeat　least　some　relativeof　the　famous　Covenanter　of　the　name；　whom　Dean　Swift's　friend；　Captain　Creichton；　shot　on　his　own　staircase　in　the　times　of　the　persecutions；　＇See　Note　2。Steele　a　Covenanter；　shot　by　Captain　Creichton。＇　and　had　perhaps　derived　from　her　native　stock　much　both　of　its　good　and　evil　properties。　　No　one　could　say　of　her　that　she　was　the　life　and　spirit　of　the　family；　though　in　my　mother's　time　she　directed　all　family　affairs。　　Her　look　was　austere　and　gloomy；　and　when　she　was　not　displeased　with　you；　you　could　only　find　it　out　by　her　silence。　　If　there　was　cause　for　complaint；　real　or　imaginary；　Christie　was　loud　enough。　　She　loved　my　mother　with　the　devoted　attachment　of　a　younger　sister；　but　she　was　as　jealous　of　her　favour　to　any　one　else　as　if　she　had　been　the　aged　husband　of　a　coquettish　wife；　and　as　severe　in　her　reprehensions　as　an　abbess　over　her　nuns。　　The　command　which　she　exercised　over　her　was　that；　I　fear；　of　a　strong　and　determined　over　a　feeble　and　more　nervous　disposition　and　though　it　was　used　with　rigour；　yet；　to　the　best　of　Christie　Steele's　belief；　she　was　urging　her　mistress　to　her　best　and　most　becoming　course；　and　would　have　died　rather　than　have　recommended　any　other。　　The　attachment　of　this　woman　was　limited　to　the　family　of　Croftangry；　for　she　had　few　relations；　and　a　dissolute　cousin；　whom　late　in　life　she　had　taken　as　a　husband；　had　long　left　her　a　widow。
  To　me　she　had　ever　a　strong　dislike。　　Even　from　my　early　childhood　she　was　jealous；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　of　my　interest　in　my　mother's　affections。　　She　saw　my　foibles　and　vices　with　abhorrence；　and　without　a　grain　of　allowance；　nor　did　she　pardon　the　weakness　of　maternal　affection　even　when；　by　the　death　of　two　brothers；　I　came　to　be　the　only　child　of　a　widowed　parent。　　At　the　time　my　disorderly　conduct　induced　my　mother　to　leave　Glentanner；　and　retreat　to　her　jointure…house；　I　always　blamed　Christie　Steele　for　having　influenced　her　resentment　and　prevented　her　from　listening　to　my　vows　of　amendment；　which　at　times　were　real　and　serious；　and　might；　perhaps；　have　accelerated　that　change　of　disposition　which　has　since；　I　trust；　taken　place。　But　Christie　regarded　me　as　altogether　a　doomed　and　predestinated　child　of　perdition；　who　was　sure　to　hold　on　my　course；　and　drag　downwards　whosoever　might　attempt　to　afford　me　support。
  Still；　though　I　knew　such　had　been　Christie's　prejudices　against　me　in　other　days；　yet　I　thought　enough　of　time　had　since　passed　away　to　destroy　all　of　them。　　I　knew　that　when；　through　the　disorder　of　my　affairs；　my　mother　underwent　some　temporary　inconvenience　about　money　matters；　Christie；　as　a　thing　of　course；　stood　in　the　gap；　and　having　sold　a　small　inheritance　which　had　descended　to　her；　brought　the　purchase　money　to　her　mistress；　with　a　sense　of　devotion　as　deep　as　that　which　inspired　the　Christians　of　the　first　age；　when　they　sold　all　they　had；　and　followed　the　apostles　of　the　church。　　I　therefore　thought　that　we　might；　in　old　Scottish　phrase；　〃let　byganes　be　byganes；〃　and　begin　upon　a　new　account。　　Yet　I　resolved；　like　a　skilful　general；　to　reconnoitre　a　little　before　laying　down　any　precise　scheme　of　proceeding；　and　in　the　interim　I　determined　to　preserve　my　incognito。
  CHAPTER　IV。
  MR。　CROFTANGRY　BIDS　ADIEU　TO　CLYDESDALE。
  Alas；　how　changed　from　what　it　once　had　been！　　　'Twas　now　degraded　to　a　common　inn。　　　　GAY。
  An　hour's　brisk　walking；　or　thereabouts；　placed　me　in　front　of　Duntarkin；　which　had　also；　I　found；　undergone　considerable　alterations；　though　it　had　not　been　altogether　demolished　like　the　principal　mansion。　　An　inn…yard　extended　before　the　door　of　the　decent　little　jointure…house；　even　amidst　the　remnants　of　the　holly　hedges　which　had　screened　the　lady's　garden。　　Then　a　broad；　raw…looking；　new…made　road　intruded　itself　up　the　little　glen；　instead　of　the　old　horseway；　so　seldom　used　that　it　was　almost　entirely　covered　with　grass。　　It　is　a　great　enormity；　of　which　gentlemen　trustees　on　the　highways　are　sometimes　guilty；　in　adopting　the　breadth　necessary　for　an　avenue　to　the　metropolis；　where　all　that　is　required　is　an　access　to　some　sequestered　and　unpopulous　district。　　I　do　not　say　anything　of　the　expensethat　the　trustees　and　their　constituents　may　settle　as　they　please。　But　the　destruction　of　silvan　beauty　is　great　when　the　breadth　of　the　road　is　more　than　proportioned　to　the　vale　through　which　it　runs；　and　lowers；　of　course；　the　consequence　of　any　objects　of　wood　or　water；　or　broken　and　varied　ground；　which　might　otherwise　attract　notice　and　give　pleasure。　　A　bubbling　runnel　by　the　side　of　one　of　those　modern　Appian　or　Flaminian　highways　is　but　like　a　kennel；　the　little　hill　is　diminished　to　a　hillockthe　romantic　hillock　to　a　molehill；　almost　too　small　for　sight。
  Such　an　enormity；　however；　had