I won't ask what Lady Lundie would think of your being away all that time by yourself.

I will only remind you of two things.

You would be making a public matter of an investigation which it is essential to pursue as privately as possible; and, even if you happened to hit on the right cottage your inquiries would be completely baffled, and you would discover nothing." "Why not ?" "I know the Scottish peasant better than you do, Blanche.

In his intelligence and his sense of self-respect he is a very different being from the English peasant.

He would receive you civilly, because you are a young lady; but he would let you see, at the same time, that he considered you had taken advantage of the difference between your position and his position to commit an intrusion.