travelling together to the end of their journey. A postchaise having
been engaged, they arrived at Fairport about two o'clock on the
following day.

Lovel probably expected that his travelling companion would have invited
him to dinner on his arrival; but his consciousness of a want of ready
preparation for unexpected guests prevented Oldbuck from paying him that
attention. He only begged to see him as early as he could make it
convenient to call in a forenoon, and recommended him to a widow who had
apartments to let.

A few days later, when his baggage had arrived from Edinburgh, Mr. Lovel
went forth to pay his respects at Monkbarns, and received a cordial
welcome from Mr. Oldbuck. They parted the best of friends, but the
antiquary was still at a loss to know what this well-informed young man,
without friends, connections, or employment, could have to do as a
resident at Fairport. Neither port wine nor whist had apparently any
charms for him. A coffee-room was his detestation, and he had as few
sympathies with the tea-table. There was never a Master Lovel of whom so
little positive was known, but nobody knew any harm of him.

"A decent, sensible lad," said the Laird of Monkbarns to himself, when
these particulars of Lovel had been reported to him. "He scorns to enter
into the fooleries and nonsense of these idiot people at Fairport. I
must do something for him--I must give him a dinner, and I will write to
Sir Arthur to come to Monkbarns to meet him. I must consult my
womankind."

Accordingly, such consultation having been held, the following letter
was sent to Sir Arthur Wardour, of Knockwinnock Castle: