Macmorland, brother of Tam! For a tow-headed, bare-legged brat of

ten, he had more ill tales upon his tongue than ever I heard the

match of; having drunken betimes in his brother's cup. I was still

not so old myself; pride had not yet the upper hand of curiosity;

and indeed it would have taken any man, that cold morning, to hear

all the old clashes of the country, and be shown all the places by

the way where strange things had fallen out. I had tales of

Claverhouse as we came through the bogs, and tales of the devil, as

we came over the top of the scaur. As we came in by the abbey I

heard somewhat of the old monks, and more of the freetraders, who

use its ruins for a magazine, landing for that cause within a

cannon-shot of Durrisdeer; and along all the road the Duries and

poor Mr. Henry were in the first rank of slander. My mind was thus

highly prejudiced against the family I was about to serve, so that

I was half surprised when I beheld Durrisdeer itself, lying in a

pretty, sheltered bay, under the Abbey Hill; the house most

commodiously built in the French fashion, or perhaps Italianate,

for I have no skill in these arts; and the place the most

beautified with gardens, lawns, shrubberies, and trees I had ever

seen. The money sunk here unproductively would have quite restored

the family; but as it was, it cost a revenue to keep it up.

Mr. Henry came himself to the door to welcome me: a tall dark

young gentleman (the Duries are all black men) of a plain and not

cheerful face, very strong in body, but not so strong in health:

taking me by the hand without any pride, and putting me at home

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