“Eh, sirs!” he exclaimed, on seeing Dick, “but ye’s a braw callant! Wha gave ye commission to loup twice over me bar, and cheat me of me toll? Eh, but ye’ll bide where ye be till ye pay me for a’, e’en to the uttermost fearthing, before I let ye by; for ye’s no jump your wagon over the gate, I’m thinking.”
“Certainly, of course, all right. You see I was in too great a hurry to stop to make change, or to wait to have the gate opened when I passed here last night and early this morning. But now open quickly to me. And here! here is what will pay you for all the tolls and leave something besides to buy a winter gown for the gudewife,” said Dick, laughing, and tossing a ten dollar gold coin to the old man. “And tell her this from me,” added the kind-hearted fellow, “that the girl she took so much interest in is quite safe and well cared for.”
But Andy was not concerned about the safety of the girl, he was stooping to pick up the gold eagle, and muttering to himself:
“Eh! how the lad flings about his gowd, to be sure! It’s weel a carefu’ body like mysel’ is nigh to gather it up. What was you saying anent the young hizzy, sir?” he inquired, looking up.
“Tell your good wife that she is safe and well cared for.”
“Ou, ay! it wad be i’ some house o’ correction; only there’s nae sic a useful institootion in the country,” growled Andy.
“Never mind where she is, or who she is. Tell your wife she is all right!” said Dick, as he sauntered through the gate in advance of the wagon.
The worst part of the road was past, and so in something less than an hour the “cortege” arrived at Old Lyon Hall.
The doctor had been there already for some time, and he was then with young Mrs. Lyon, who seemed to all around her to be at the point of death.
Such was the report of General Lyon, who immediately rang for a woman servant to show the nurse up to her patient.