He preluded as he spoke, in a manner which really excited my curiosity; and then, taking the old tune of Galashiels for his theme, he graced it with a number of wild, complicated, and beautiful variations; during which it was wonderful to observe how his sightless face was lighted up under the conscious pride and heartfelt delight in the exercise of his own very considerable powers.
‘What think you of that, now, for threescore and twa?’
‘A rant, man--an auld rant,’ said Willie; ‘naething like the music ye hae in your ballhouses and your playhouses in Edinbro’; but it’s weel aneugh anes in a way at a dykeside. Here’s another--it’s no a Scotch tune, but it passes for ane--Oswald made it himsell, I reckon--he has cheated mony ane, but he canna cheat Wandering Willie.’
He then played your favourite air of Roslin Castle, with a number of beautiful variations, some of which I am certain were almost extempore.
‘You have another fiddle there, my friend,’ said I--‘Have you a comrade?’ But Willie’s ears were deaf, or his attention was still busied with the tune.
The female replied in his stead, ‘O aye, sir--troth we have a partner--a gangrel body like oursells. No but my hinny might have been better if he had liked; for mony a bein nook in mony a braw house has been offered to my hinny Willie, if he wad but just bide still and play to the gentles.’
‘Whisht, woman! whisht!’ said the blind man, angrily, shaking his locks; ‘dinna deave the gentleman wi’ your havers. Stay in a house and play to the gentles!--strike up when my leddy pleases, and lay down the bow when my lord bids! Na, na, that’s nae life for Willie. Look out, Maggie--peer out, woman, and see if ye can see Robin coming. Deil be in him! He has got to the lee-side of some smuggler’s punch-bowl, and he wunna budge the night, I doubt.’
‘That is your consort’s instrument,’ said I--’ Will you give me leave to try my skill?’ I slipped at the same time a shilling into the woman’s hand.
‘I dinna ken whether I dare trust Robin’s fiddle to ye,’ said Willie, bluntly. His wife gave him a twitch. ‘Hout awa, Maggie,’ he said in contempt of the hint; ‘though the gentleman may hae gien ye siller, he may have nae bowhand for a’ that, and I’ll no trust Robin’s fiddle wi’ an ignoramus. But that’s no sae muckle amiss,’ he added, as I began to touch the instrument; ‘I am thinking ye have some skill o’ the craft.’