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"Eh, man! ma brither Alan doesna' buy the snuff, but he must hae a roof tae shelter him an' a bed tae lie in o' nights, an' pay for it too, ye ken, fourpence, or a bawbee, or a shillin', as the case may be, whiles here I hae baith for the takkin'. An', oh, man! many's the nicht I've slept the sweeter for thinkin' o' that saxpence or shillin' that Alan's apartin' wi' for a bed little better than mine.
"Ou ay; he'll do weel eneuch, too; though mind ye the puir laddie has had a narrow escape. But they're a' richt the noo; I ken richt weel what tae do wi' baith noo that I hae succeedit in bringin' back some signs o' life in them. And noo, captain, if ye'll excuse me, I'll eh, weel! hoo's a' wi' ye the noo, my mon?"
I have got a room to myself and a stoup of good wine; let's talk over things fair and gentle, and when I know what it is that you want you may be sure that I will do all I can, for the sake baith of the colonel and of you, auld comrade." The trio were soon seated in the cottage, and Malcolm then gave a short sketch of all that had taken place since he had left the regiment.
The laird took no notice of it: he knew Grizzie's devotion, and, well as he loved his mother, could not but know also that there was some ground for her undevised couplet. Scarcely a minute had passed when the voice of the old woman came from the top of the stair, calling aloud and in perturbation, "Laird! laird! come up direc'ly. Come up, lairds baith! She's comin' til hersel'!"
But, undoubtedly, she had great influence wi' us baith on account of his Excellency's affection, as weel as that she ken'd far ower mony secrets to be lightlied in a matter o' that kind. Deil tak him," he ejaculated, by way of summing up, "that gies women either secret to keep or power to abuse fules shouldna hae chapping-sticks."
"No!" he said; "I cannot sit by her I cannot own her not as yet, at least I will keep out of her sight, and turn mine own eyes elsewhere better for us baith."
He tell't me whae ye were, and how ye were sent frae your father's house because ye wadna be a dealer, and that ye michtna disgrace your family wi' ganging on the stage. Ane Hammorgaw, our precentor, brought him here, and said he was an auld acquaintance; but I sent them baith awa' wi' a flae in their lug for bringing me sic an errand on sic a night.
"What gart ye turn frae the kirk o' yer fathers, and tak to a conventicle like that, Thomas?" asked Mr Cupples one evening. "Ye hae been to them baith, and I wad hae thocht ye wad hae kent better nor to speir sic a question," answered Thomas. "Ay, ay. But what gart ye think o' 't first?" "Weel, I'll tell ye the haill story.
'An' rings on his fingers an' bells 'Noo, noo, lassie, ye're no to mak' fun o' me! Whaur's his case? Christina handed her an aluminium cigarette case the best in the shop and she presented it to Macgregor, saying: 'Ye're no to gang an' hurt yer health wi' smokin'; but when ye tak' a ceegarette, ye'll maybe gi'e a thocht to an auld body that'll be rememberin' ye, baith mornin' an' nicht.
The jackanape they caa'd Major Weir, it jibbered and cried as if it was mocking its master; my gudesire's head was like to turn he forgot baith siller and receipt, and downstairs he banged; but as he ran, the shrieks came faint and fainter; there was a deep-drawn shivering groan, and word gaed through the castle that the laird was dead.
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