Catharines Peril, or The Little Russian Girl Lost in a Forest | Page 8

Scotland. Not a word was spoken. The young gentleman sat with his
arms crossed upon his breast, and, if I might judge by the expression of
his fine countenance, was evidently revolving some scheme of
benevolence in his mind. The dandies regarded him with blank
amazement. They also had seen the gold in the poor widow's hand, and
seemed to think that there was more under that shabby surtout than
their 'puppy brains' were able to conjecture. That in this they were right
was speedily made manifest.
When we had entered Glasgow, and were approaching the Buck's
Head--the inn at which our conveyance was to stop--an open
travelling-carriage, drawn by four beautiful grey horses, drove up in an
opposite direction. The elegance of this equipage made the dandies
spring to their feet. 'What beautiful greys!' cried the one; 'I wonder who
they can belong to?' 'He is a happy fellow, anyhow,' replied the other; 'I
would give half Yorkshire to call them mine.' The stage-coach and
travelling-carriage stopped at the Buck's Head at the same moment; and
a footman in laced livery, springing down from behind the latter,
looked first inside and then at the top of the former, when he lifted his
hat with a smile of respectful recognition.
'Are all well at the castle, Robert?' inquired the young gentleman in the
surtout.
'All well, my lord,' replied the footman.
At the sound of that monosyllable the faces of the exquisites became
visibly elongated; but without taking the smallest notice of them or
their confusion, the nobleman politely wished me good morning, and,
descending from the coach, caused the footman to place his cloak and

despised portmanteau in the carriage. He then stepped into it himself,
and the footman getting up behind, the coachman touched the leaders
very slightly with his whip, and the equipage and its noble owner were
soon out of sight.
'Pray, what nobleman is that?' said one of the dandies to the landlord, as
we entered the inn.
'The Earl of Hyndford, sir,' replied the landlord; 'one of the best men, as
well as one of the richest, in Scotland.'
'The Earl of Hyndford!' repeated the dandy, turning to his companion.
'What asses we have been! There's an end to all chance of being
allowed to shoot on his estate.'
'Oh, yes, we may burn our letters of introduction when we please!'
rejoined his companion; and, silent and crestfallen, both walked
upstairs to their apartments.
'The Earl of Hyndford!' repeated I, with somewhat less painful feelings.
'Does he often travel unattended?'
'Very often, sir,' replied the landlord, 'especially when he has any
public or charitable object in view; he thinks he gets at the truth more
easily as a private gentleman than as a wealthy nobleman.'
'I have no doubt of it,' said I; and having given orders for dinner, I sat
down to muse on the occurrences of the day.
This, however, was not the last time that I was destined to hear of that
amiable young nobleman, too early lost to his country and mankind. I
had scarcely returned home from my tour in the Highlands, when I was
waited upon by a friend, a teacher of languages in Edinburgh, who told
me that he had been appointed Rector of the Academy at Bothwell.
'Indeed!' said I; 'how have you been so fortunate?'
'I cannot tell,' replied he, 'unless it be connected with the circumstance

which I am going to relate.'
He then stated that, about a month before, he was teaching his classes
as usual, when a young gentleman, dressed in a surtout that was not
over new, came into his school, and politely asked leave to see his
method of instruction. Imagining his visitor to be a schoolmaster from
the country, who wished to learn something of the Edinburgh modes of
tuition, my friend acceded to his request. The stranger remained two
hours, and paid particular attention to every department. When my
friend was about to dismiss the school, the stranger inquired whether he
was not in the habit of commending his pupils to God in prayer before
they parted for the day. My friend replied that he was; upon which the
stranger begged that he would not depart from his usual practice on his
account. My friend accordingly prayed with the boys, and dismissed
them; after which the stranger thanked him for his politeness, and also
withdrew. Nothing more occurred; but, four or five days afterwards, my
friend received a letter from the Earl of Hyndford, in which that
nobleman, after stating that he had satisfied himself as to his piety and
ability as a teacher, made him an offer of the Rectorship of the
Academy at Bothwell.
'Was your visitor fair-haired,' said I, 'and his surtout of a claret colour?'
'They