Викрадений
Chapter 16
ItoldhimasfarinmyaffairsasIjudgedwise;asfar,thatis,astheywerenoneofAlan’s;andgaveBalachulishastheplaceIwastravellingto,tomeetafriend;forIthoughtAucharn,orevenDuror,wouldbetooparticular,andmightputhimonthescent.
Onhispart,hetoldmemuchofhisworkandthepeopleheworkedamong,thehidingpriestsandJacobites,theDisarmingAct,thedress,andmanyothercuriositiesofthetimeandplace.Heseemedmoderate;blamingParliamentinseveralpoints,andespeciallybecausetheyhadframedtheActmoreseverelyagainstthosewhoworethedressthanagainstthosewhocarriedweapons.
ThismoderationputitinmymindtoquestionhimoftheRedFoxandtheAppintenants;questionswhich,Ithought,wouldseemnaturalenoughinthemouthofonetravellingtothatcountry.
Hesaiditwasabadbusiness.“It’swonderful,”saidhe,“wherethetenantsfindthemoney,fortheirlifeismerestarvation.(Yedon’tcarrysuchathingassnuff,doye,Mr.Balfour?No.Well,I’mbetterwantingit.)Butthesetenants(asIwassaying)aredoubtlesspartlydriventoit.JamesStewartinDuror(that’shimtheycallJamesoftheGlens)ishalf-brothertoArdshiel,thecaptainoftheclan;andheisamanmuchlookedupto,anddrivesveryhard.Andthenthere’sonetheycallAlanBreck—”
“Ah!”Icried,“whatofhim?”
“Whatofthewindthatblowethwhereitlisteth?”saidHenderland.“He’shereandawa;hereto-dayandgoneto-morrow:afairheather-cat.
