Never ASK womenfolk. They're bound to answer 'No'; God never made
the lass that could resist the temptation. It's supposed by
divines to be the curse of Eve: because she did not say it when
the devil offered her the apple, her daughters can say nothing
else."
"Since I am so soon to lose my bonny professor," I began.
"This is gallant, indeed," says she curtseying.
"I would put the one question," I went on. "May I ask a lass to
marry to me?"
"You think you could not marry her without!" she asked. "Or else
get her to offer?"
"You see you cannot be serious," said I.
"I shall be very serious in one thing, David," said she: "I shall
always be your friend."
As I got to my horse the next morning, the four ladies were all at
that same window whence we had once looked down on Catriona, and
all cried farewell and waved their pocket napkins as I rode away.
One out of the four I knew was truly sorry; and at the thought of
that, and how I had come to the door three months ago for the first
time, sorrow and gratitude made a confusion in my mind.
PART II--FATHER AND DAUGHTER
CHAPTER XXI--THE VOYAGE INTO HOLLAND
The ship lay at a single anchor, well outside the pier of Leith, so
that all we passengers must come to it by the means of skiffs.
This was very little troublesome, for the reason that the day was a
flat calm, very frosty and cloudy, and with a low shifting fog upon
the water. The body of the vessel was thus quite hid as I drew
near, but the tall spars of her stood high and bright in a sunshine
like the flickering of a fire. She proved to be a very roomy,
commodious merchant, but somewhat blunt in the bows, and loaden
extraordinary deep with salt, salted salmon, and fine white linen
stockings for the Dutch. Upon my coming on board, the captain
welcomed me--one Sang (out of Lesmahago, I believe), a very hearty,
friendly tarpaulin of a man, but at the moment in rather of a
bustle. There had no other of the passengers yet appeared, so that
I was left to walk about upon the deck, viewing the prospect and
wondering a good deal what these farewells should be which I was
promised.
All Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills glinted above me in a kind of
smuisty brightness, now and again overcome with blots of cloud; of
Leith there was no more than the tops of chimneys visible, and on
the face of the water, where the haar {24} lay, nothing at all.
Out of this I was presently aware of a sound of oars pulling, and a
little after (as if out of the smoke of a fire) a boat issued.
There sat a grave man in the stern sheets, well muffled from the
cold, and by his side a tall, pretty, tender figure of a maid that
brought my heart to a stand. I had scarce the time to catch my
breath in, and be ready to meet her, as she stepped upon the deck,
smiling, and making my best bow, which was now vastly finer than
some months before, when first I made it to her ladyship. No doubt
we were both a good deal changed: she seemed to have shot up like
a young, comely tree. She had now a kind of pretty backwardness
that became her well as of one that regarded herself more highly
and was fairly woman; and for another thing, the hand of the same
magician had been at work upon the pair of us, and Miss Grant had
made us both BRAW, if she could make but the one BONNY.
The same cry, in words not very different, came from both of us,
that the other was come in compliment to say farewell, and then we
perceived in a flash we were to ship together.
"O, why will not Baby have been telling me!" she cried; and then
remembered a letter she had been given, on the condition of not
opening it till she was well on board. Within was an enclosure for
myself, and ran thus:
"DEAR DAVIE,--What do you think of my farewell? and what do you say
to your fellow passenger? Did you kiss, or did you ask? I was
about to have signed here, but that would leave the purport of my
question doubtful, and in my own case I KEN THE ANSWER.