Before this comes to your Hand you will
probably have seen the worthy Mr Ol.Oliphant &and
his agreeable Lady, whom, to my great
Mortification, I did not see, as they pass-
ed by here. The Manner how this happen-
ed, ‘tis very probable Mr Ol.Oliphant may have
told you. Had I been aware of his not
setting off from Durham ‘till 8 o’Clock,
I should have made a hard Shift but 1914 (1914) I would have seen him; but he had
named a much earlier Hour [6 o’ Clock]
in a Note he left over-night [B.Bishop G.Gordon
being then in Bed] at Burnhall-Gate,
so near were we to each other. Pray,
my best Respects to him &and his good La-
dy, &and tell them how sorry I am, I did
not see them. — I beg, Dear Sir, you
would likewise give Mr O.Oliphant my best
Thanks for his care of Mr ——[Wag]Staffe’s
Letter, &and also for his own, which accom-
panied it from Durham. — I trust Mr
O.Oliphant will be able to give you Satisfac-
tion in some Doubts &and Difficulties, &and
consequently relieve you from the
Distress, under which you have some
time laboured. He is a man of Un-
derstanding, &and well-qualified to dis-
cuss the Subject thoroughly.”

Instantly I made a Return to the
Above, &and most earnestly desired B.Bishop G.Gordon
to bring Mrs G.Gordon along with him, &and to
take up their abode with us for some
Time: But, if this did not suit his Con-
venience, that he would meet me at
the House of Mr Angus MackDonell
in Moffat on a Day to be appointed by
him; tho’though I had far [] ^rather chusechoose his com-
ing to my House, as above, where he
might be as private as he pleased, even
incogincogito, if he thought fit. — To which I
had the following Answer.