The Marquis of Lossie

ears to its sister of the happier time something of the relation the marble statue bears to the living form; the sense it awakes of beauty is more ab

relaid and levelled: none of the horses of the late Marquis minded it but one -- her whom the young man in Highland dress was now grooming -- and she would have fidgeted had it been an oak floor. The yard was a long and wide space, with two storied buildings on all sides of it. In the centre of one of th

annoy the marquis as they do the city man who has just bought a little place in the country. When an old family ceases to go lovingly with nature, I see no reason why it should go any longer. An old tree is venerable, and an old picture precious to the soul, but an old house, on which has been laid none but loving and respectful hands, is dear to the very heart. Even an o

was Marquis of Lossie there was nothing about him to show. The mare looked dangerous. Every now and then she cast back a white glance of the one visible eye. But the youth was on his guard, and as wary as fearless in his handling of her. When at leng

e covered with hoar frost; wherever there was shadow there was whiteness. But for all the cold

f, if he could not hope much for her general temper, a man, who looked half

g that mare, Mac

sir; she canna be muckl

spur she want

me aboot (in turn); and I houp they'l

ere, anyhow. She's not wor

arded her with admiring eyes. "Saw ye ever sic legs? an' sic a neck? an' sic a heid? an' sic fore an' hi

of her the better. Just look at that," he added, as the mare la

, the marquis," returned the youth, "

just ride her to Forres market next week, and see what you can g

youth. "She has a kin' a likin' to me, 'cause I gi'e her sugar, an' she canna cast me; but she's no a

tak' tent (beware

ien only they ken what she's like a

ng. To his judgment the you

shall go with you, and you shall have nothin

yersel' she wad be the deith o' somebody, an' to sell her ohn tell't

rse as you take a wife -- for better for worse, as the case may be. A woman's not bound to tell her faults whe

o even responsible for the bargain. An' gien ye expec' me to haud my tongue aboot them -- faith, Maister Crathie, I wad as sune think o' sellin' a rotten boat to Blue Peter. Gien the man 'at has her to see tilt dinna ken to luik oot for a storm o' iron shune or lang teeth ony moment, his

th the dignity of intended rebuke, "you seem to find h

richt," said the youth. "I ken muir aboot that

you in your follies. That they amused him is no reason why I should put up with

a little oddly, a

tell you, and make no re

-- within certain leem

you mean

yer neibor as ye wad ha'e yer neibor

re of himself in the horse market: that's understood. If you had been brought up amo

like to pruv' the honester o' the twa; But there's nae hypocrisy in Ke

foolish and inapplicable. He would have turned Malcolm adrift on the spot, but that he remembered -- not the favour of the late marquis for the lad -- that was nothing to the factor now: his lord under the mould

o be proud of, my man, and the less said the better. I advise you to mind what you're about, an

alms; the moment the factor ceased talking, he ceased stroking, and w

the orders o' a man less honest than he micht be, ye're mista'en. I dinna think it's pride this time;

me him, and he was a wrathful man to see, as

m which his most potent instinct, that of self preservation, shrank in horror. He started back white with dismay, having by a bare inch of space and a bare moment of time, escaped what he called Eternity. Dazed with fe

believed Malcolm had m

ill Stoat comes hame

, I'll horsewhip you," said the factor, an

ly obeyed the halter, he had bid for her, and, as he thought, had her a great bargain. The accident that finally caused his death followed immediately after, and while he was ill no one cared to vex him by saying what she had turned out. But Malcolm had even then taken her in hand in the hope of taming her a little before his master, who often spoke of his latest purchase, should see her again. In this he had very partially succeeded; but if only for the sake of him whom he now knew for his father, nothing would hav