The Antiquary Volume II - Chapter Twenty-Third

In which the Antiquary and his nephew engage in candid discourse on the delicate matters of love and family worth, revealing Hector’s steady and rational resignation, whilst the arrival of an old mendicant brings to light secrets of buried treasure and the stirrings of martial preparation amid rumours of invasion. The mingling of personal affection with public tidings paints a gentle but lively scene of Scotland’s rustic life in a time of suspense and shifting fortunes.