the captain in the way she had done, she was like one by herself.
All the servants were scattered out and abroad in quest of the
lovers; and some of them, seeing the chaise drive from Mrs Malcolm's
door with them in it, and me coming out, jealoused what had been
done, and told their mistress outright of the marriage, which was to
her like a clap of thunder; insomuch that she flung herself back in
her settee, and was beating and drumming with her heels on the
floor, like a madwoman in Bedlam, when I entered the room. For some
time she took no notice of me, but continued her din; but, by-and-
by, she began to turn her eyes in fiery glances upon me, till I was
terrified lest she would fly at me with her claws in her fury. At
last she stopped all at once, and in a calm voice, said, "But it
cannot now be helped, where are the vagabonds?"--"They are gone,"
replied I.--"Gone?" cried she, "gone where?"--"To America, I
suppose," was my answer; upon which she again threw herself back in
the settee, and began again to drum and beat with her feet as
before. But not to dwell on small particularities, let it suffice
to say, that she sent her coachman on one of her coach horses,
which, being old and stiff, did not overtake the fugitives till they
were in their bed at Kilmarnock, where they stopped that night; but
when they came back to the lady's in the morning, she was as cagey
and meikle taken up with them, as if they had gotten her full
consent and privilege to marry from the first. Thus was the first
of Mrs Malcolm's children well and creditably settled. I have only
now to conclude with observing, that my son Gilbert was seized with
the smallpox about the beginning of December, and was blinded by
them for seventeen days; for the inoculation was not in practice yet
among us, saving only in the genteel families that went into
Edinburgh for the education of their children, where it was
performed by the faculty there.