Adam was finishing his plate of rice pudding and cream when he gave this advice; and with it, he moved his chair from the table and said: “Come into the garden. I want to smoke. Thou knows a good dinner deserves a pipe, and a bad one demands it.”
Then they went into the garden and talked of the flowers and the young vegetables, and said not a word of Edinburgh and the Sagas that the winds could catch and carry round to human folk for clash and gossip. And when the pipe was out, Adam said: “Now I am going into the town. That Burns story is on my lips, my teeth cannot keep my tongue behind them much longer.”
“A good time will be thine. I wish that I could go with thee.”
“What wilt thou do?”
“Braid my hair and dress myself. Then I shall take out thy Saga of ‘The Banded Men’ and study the men who were banded, and find them out, in all their clever ways. Then I can show them to others. If I get tired of them––and I do get tired of men very quickly––I will put on my bonnet and tippet, and go and carry Mrs. Brodie thy respectful–––”
“Take care, Sunna!”
“Good wishes! I can surely go so far.”
“Know this––every step on that road may lead to danger––and thou cannot turn back and tread them the other way. There now, be off! I will talk with thee no longer.”