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



71?e /faster of Ballaptrae 31

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 with plain, kind speeches.
He led me into the haU, booted as I was, to present me to
my lord. It was still dayhght; and the first thing I ob-
served was a lozenge of clear glass iu the midst of the shield
in the painted window, which I remember thinking a blemr
ish on a room otherwise so handsome, with its family por-
traits, and the pargeted ceiling with pendents, and the
carved chimney, in one comer of which my old lord sat
reading in his* Livy. He was Hke Mr. Henry, with much
the same plain countenance, only more subtle and pleasant,
and his talk a thousand times more entertaining. He had
many questions to ask me, I remember, of Edinburgh Col-
lege, where I had just received my mastership of arts, and
of the various professors, with whom and their proficiency
he seemed well acquainted; and thus, talking of things
that I knew, I soon got hberty of speech in my new
home.
In the midst of this, came Mrs. Henry into the room;
she was very far gone, Miss Katharine being due in about
six weeks, which made me think less of her beauty at the
first sight; and she used me with more of condescension
than the rest; so that, upon all accounts, I kept her in the
third place of my esteem.
