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The success of the “Forest Maiden Company” was secured, and their fame had gone abroad, so that the very first night, and indeed during all the week they appeared in Paisley they received splendid ovations.
Of course they were but a poor little bit of a show, compared with other great ones that had visited the “City of Thread,” but of their kind they were first-class. Anyhow, they pleased the people, and what more can any of us do?
On to Stirling by easy stages, staying for a night and sometimes three at most villages and towns, and so through Perth, and north and west by the great Highland road that leads to Dunkeld and Pitlochry, across the Grampian Range to Inverness itself.
But they were destined never to reach the capital of the Scottish Highlands, something occurring that completely disorganised the show, and put acting entirely out of Fitzroy’s head for weeks and weeks to come.
They had passed over the highest point of the range, through Dalwhinnie, surrounded by its mountains patched with summer snows, with lofty Ben Alder frowning darkly over the leaden lake, and had reached one of the sweetest little towns that nestle here in the Scottish Alps. They had given their first performance, which was so successful that they determined to stay for a week.
Their pitch was both romantic and beautiful, with wilder scenery around them than ever before their eyes had looked upon.
On the very second morning Johnnie and Peggy went off through woods and wilds under the guidance of a ghillie to a lonely little mountain loch or tarn to fish. Quite surrounded by rocks and birch-clad braes is Loch Bran, and unknown to the Saxon tourist. The glad fish leaped up in the sunshine as if wanting to be landed, and though by no means adepts at the fisherman’s craft, it was not many hours before the little creels they carried were nearly full, so they left off to dine in a brown pine wood.
It was very solemn and still here, not a sound to be heard save the low murmur of a little silvery cascade that came tumbling down through gray boulders and brackens green to seek the rest and silence of the lake.
After dinner Peggy sat quietly reading, but Johnnie lay on his back gazing dreamily up at the dark pine branches through the shimmering green of which he caught sight of the blue of the sunlit sky.