doners to a copious supply of uisgebea, which fully compensated them for their trouble.
Such were the young piper's tricks, which, however, placed him pretty high in the estimation of all the young people, particularly the fair portion of them; but notwithstanding all their winning looks and coquettish allurements to entrap the handsome piper's heart, none of them were able to accomplish that object, for this special reason that it was already an inextricable captive to the charms of Mary Grant's sparkling black eyes.
Mary was the only child and daughter of Donald Grant (Mr. McKay's grieve or overseer) and Bella McKay's waiting maid. Being only a year older than her young mistress, and a brunette, Mary was considered the smartest and prettiest lassie in that part. Always attending on her young mistress, and having many advantages in dress (of which she was passionately fond), and many other feminine accomplishments, Mary became an "object" of attraction to all the young men in the neighbourhood; but, although she bestowed on all of them a wink and smile, her heart was invulnerable, being safe in the possession of Donald Munroe.
It had been universally admitted that Donald played his best reels and strathspeys at balls and weddings, whenever Mary graced the floor, to whose well-played music she did full justice, and beat excellent time with her lively pretty feet, which she exhibited by wearing a smart short dress. Mary also, on her part, rewarded her lover by favouring him with the cap in the cushion dance, and the smack that followed always created smiles and significant winks among the young assemblage. Donald Munro and Mary Grant, thus avowed lovers, formed many little schemes and plans to forward their own wishes, and also an attachment which they believed to exist between their young master and mistress, Charlie Stuart and Bella McKay. Whether they judged those young couple by their own footings, we know not; one thing, however, we know, that by bringing them often together, they themselves would have more opportunities of enjoying each other's company, as they constantly attended on them. Still, we must not charge
