United States or Tokelau ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
It's no that the venison is actually needfu'," he added, detaining his colleague by the button, "to make up the dinner; but as a compliment to the hunters, ye ken; and, Mr. Lockhard, if they offer ye a drink o' yill, or a cup o' wine, or a glass o' brandy, ye'll be a wise man to take it, in case the thunner should hae soured ours at the castle, whilk is ower muckle to be dreaded."
The accusation awoke neither shame nor indignation in him: he attempted neither denial nor excuse, but only answered with a long, low, chuckling laugh, as if he viewed the whole transaction as a clever, merry jest from beginning to end. Surely that man will make me dislike him at last! Sine as ye brew, my maiden fair, Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill.
A postscript bore, "I learned from a decent woman, a grazier's widow, that they hae a cure for the muir-ill in Cumberland, whilk is ane pint, as they ca't, of yill, whilk is a dribble in comparison of our gawsie Scots pint, and hardly a mutchkin, boiled wi' sope and hartshorn draps, and toomed doun the creature's throat wi' ane whorn.
After many "How are ye, Jims's" and mutual speirings over a "bit mouthful of yill" so they phrased it; but that was a meiosis, for they drank five quarts they fell to a serious discussion of the commercial possibilities of Scotland. The borer was of the opinion that the Braes of Barbie had a future yet, "for a' the gaffer was so keen on keeping his men in the dark about the coal."
You Quaker folk are but fause comforters; but since ye have garred me drink sae muckle cauld yill me that am no used to the like of it in the forenoon I think ye might as weel have offered me a glass of brandy or usquabae I'm nae nice body I can drink onything that's wet and toothsome. 'Not a drop at my cost, friend, quoth Geddes.
And now, hinny, gang awa', and serve the folk, but first bring me my dinner, and twa chappins o' yill and the mutchkin stoup o' brandy."
"An acquaintance," said my companion, "whom I have made bold to bring with me for the night; but you must not put yourself to any trouble, mother; he is, I daresay, as much accustomed to plain fare as myself. Only, however, we must get an additional pint of yill from the clachan; you know this is my last evening with you, and was to be a merry one at any rate."
"Na!" replied the other spokeswoman; "but I trow I hae dreamed of him mony a time, and I think the day will come they will burn me for't. But ne'er mind, cummer! we hae this dollar of the Master's, and we'll send doun for bread and for yill, and tobacco, and a drap brandy to burn, and a wee pickle saft sugar; and be there deil, or nae deil, lass, we'll hae a merry night o't."
They did so very carefully and silently, and the three men then stood where the light of the fire shone full in their faces, and where they could not help being the first objects the Indian would see when he was pleased to look up. "We'll have to wake him," whispered Tim, "and shall I yill, or hit him with a stone on top of the head?"
'Maybe I do, and maybe I do not, answered Peter; 'I am no free to answer every body's interrogatory, unless it is put judicially, and by form of law specially where folk think so much of a caup of sour yill, or a thimblefu' of brandy.
Word Of The Day