Part 5 (1/2)
”Well, in order to eat heartily, I must not be at all anxious Now I have two questions to put to you”
”Go on, sir”
”Your letter toldnature”
”It is very interesting indeed”
”To you?”
”To you and to me, Mr Starr But I do not want to tell it you until after dinner, and on the very spot itself Without that you would not believe ht in the face An interesting communication? Yes Good! I will not ask more,” he added, as if he had read the reply in the old overman's eyes
”And the second question?” asked the latter
”Do you know, Simon, who the person is who can have written this?”
answered the engineer, handing him the anonymous letter
Ford took the letter and read it attentively Then giving it to his son, ”Do you know the writing?” he asked
”No, father,” replied Harry
”And had this letter the Aberfoyle postmark?” inquired Simon Ford
”Yes, like yours,” replied James Starr
”What do you think of that, Harry?” said his father, his brow darkening
”I think, father,” returned Harry, ”that so to prevent Mr Starr fro to the place where you invited him”
”But who,” exclaih of my secret?” And Simon fell into a reverie, froin, Mr Starr,” she said ”The soup is already getting cold
Don't think any more of that letter just now”
On the old woman's invitation, each drew in his chair, Jae--to do hiood Scotch dinner First they ate ”hotchpotch,” soup with thein capital broth As old Si hotchpotch It was the same with the ”cockyleeky,” a cock steith leeks, which h praise
The whole ashed doith excellent ale, obtained froh
But the principal dish consisted of a ”haggis,” the national pudding, made of meat and barley meal This remarkable dish, which inspired the poet Burns with one of his best odes, shared the fate of all the good things in this world--it passed away like a dreauest The dinner ended with cheese and oatcake, accoh,” capital whisky, five and twenty years old--just Harry's age The repast lasted a good hour James Starr and Simon Ford had not only eaten much, but talked much too, chiefly of their past life in the old Aberfoyle mine