Macconochie was chief upon the other side ; an old, ill-
spoken, swearing, xantiag, drunken dog; and I have often
thought it an odd circumstance in human nature that these
two serving-men should each have been the champion of his



24 U/orKs of F^obert Couis Steuepsop

contrary, and blackened their own faults and made light of
their own virtues when they beheld them in a master. Mac-
conochie had soon smeUed out my secret inclination, took me
much into his confidence, and would rant against the master
by the hour, so that even my work suffered. "They're a'
daft here," he would cry, "and be damned to them! The
master — the deil's in their thrapples that should call him
sae! it's Mr. Henry should be master now! They were
nane sae fond o' the master when they had him, I'll can tell
ye that. Sorrow on his name ! Never a guid word did I
hear on his lips, nor naebody else, but just fleering and flyt-
ing and profane cursing — deil hae him ! There's nane kent
his wickedness : him a gentleman ! Did ever ye hear tell,
Mr. Mackellar, o' WuUy "White the wabster? No? Aweel,
"Wully was an unco praying kind o' man; a driegh body,
nane o' my kind, I never could abide the sight o' him ; ony-
way he was a great hand by his way of it, and he up and
rebukit the master for some of his ongoings. It was a
grand thing for the Master o' Ball'ntrae to tak up a feud
wi' a wabster, wasnae't?" Macconochie would sneer; in-
deed he never took the full name upon his lips but with a
sort of whine of hatred. "But he did! A fine employ it
was: chapping at the man's door, and crying 'boo' in his
Imn, and puttin' poother in his fire, and peeoys * in his win-
dow ; till the man thocht it was auld Hornie was come seek-
in' him. Weel, to mak a lang story short, Wully gaed
gyte. At the hinder end, they couldnae get him frae his
knees, but he just roared and prayed and grat straucht on,
till he got his release. It was fair murder, a'body said that.
