"
"I suppose," said Lavender, "you found it rather difficult to learn
good English?"
"Well, sir, I hefna got ta goot English yet. But Miss Sheila she has
put away all the Gaelic from the schools, and the young ones they will
learn more of ta good English after that."
"I wish I knew as much Gaelic as you know English," said the young
man.
"Oh, you will soon learn. It iss very easy if you will only stay in ta
island."
"It would take me several months to pick it up, I suppose?"
"Oh, yes--nine or six--that will do," said Duncan. "You will begin to
learn ta names o' ta islands and ta places. There now, as far as you
can see is ta Seann Bheinn; and it means ta old hill. And there is a
rock there: it is Stac-nan Balg--"
Here Duncan looked rather perplexed.
"Yes," said Lavender: "what does that mean?"
"It means--it means," said Duncan in still greater perplexity, and
getting a little impatient, "it means--_stac_, tat iss a steep rock:
Stac-nan-Balg--it means--well, sir, _it is ower deep for ta English_"
The tone of mortification in which Duncan uttered these words warned
Lavender that his philological studies might as well cease; and indeed
Sheila and Ingram had by this time reached the banks of the White
Water, and were waiting Duncan and the majestic rod.
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