“My conscience! I’m the happiest lad in the countryside!”
And so he really appeared to be.
Our heroes had spent a very calm but pleasant day, and Willie felt thankful, and expressed himself so more than once, that they were down in the cool green country, far away from scenes of strife and riot.
They stopped for a moment by the side of the silvery lake to admire the beautiful sheet of water with the greenery of the woods rising up from its banks beyond, and afar off the blue summits of the Grampian Hills.
Johnnie here volunteered a statement.
“Gintlemen,” he said, “do ye ken what the mad laird o’ Skene ance did?”
“Is there a mad laird o’ Skene, Johnnie?”
“Oh, no noo, but lang syne. He wasna doonricht daft, ye ken, but jist reckless-kind and deil-may-care.”
“Well, what did he do, Johnnie?”
“Weel, he made a wager that he’d drive a carriage and pair ower the loch after only ae’ (one) nicht’s frost.”