It was evening when he drew nigh the place whither he had directed
his steps--a little country town, not far from a famous seat of
learning: there he would make inquiry before going further. The
minister of his parish knew the minister of Auchars, and had given
him a letter of introduction. The country around had not a few
dwellings of distinction, and at one or another of these might be
children in want of a tutor.
The sun was setting over the hills behind him as he entered the
little town. At first it looked but a village, for on the
outskirts, through which the king's highway led, were chiefly
thatched cottages, with here and there a slated house of one story
and an attic; but presently began to appear houses of larger
size--few of them, however, of more than two stories. Most of them
looked as if they had a long and not very happy history. All at
once he found himself in a street, partly of quaint gables with
corbel steps; they called them here corbie-steps, in allusion,
perhaps, to the raven sent out by Noah, for which lazy bird the
children regarded these as places to rest. There were two or three
curious gateways in it with some attempt at decoration, and one
house with the pepperpot turrets which Scotish architecture has
borrowed from the French chateau. The heart of the town was a yet
narrower, close-built street, with several short closes and wynds
opening out of it--all of which had ancient looking houses.
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