Page:Scott - Tales of my Landlord - 3rd series, vol. 4 - 1819.djvu/56

 filling a great cup of wine, "I see no ground for your reproof, seeing I did not speak of those turpes personæ, as if their occupation or character was a proper subject of conversation for this lady's presence, but simply per accidens, as illustrating the matter in hand, namely, their natural courage and audacity, much enhanced, doubtless, by the desperate circumstances of their condition."

"Captain Dalgetty," said Sir Duncan Campbell, "to break short this discourse, I must acquaint you that I have some business to dispatch to-night, in order to enable me to ride with you to-morrow towards Inverara, and therefore"

"To ride with this person to-morrow!" replied his lady; "such cannot be your purpose, Sir Duncan, unless you have forgotten that the morrow is a sad anniversary, and dedicated to as sad a solemnity."

"I had not forgotten," answered Sir Duncan; "how is it possible I can ever forget? but the necessity of the times re-