United States or Malawi ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Widow Precious had plenty of sharp sense to tell her that her children were by no means "pretty dears" to anybody but herself, and to herself only when in a very soft state of mind; at other times they were but three gew-mouthed lasses, and two looby loons with teeth enough for crunching up the dripping-pan. "Your Warship spaketh fair," she said; "a'most too fair, I'm doubting.
Looby, incensed at this asseveration, which he was not prepared to refute, exclaimed, in a most infuriate accent, "Who are you? whence came you? where was you bred?
Whether the patient was frighted at this altercation, or displeased with her mother's decision against an agreeable young fellow, who had, as it were, recalled her from the grave, and made himself master of the secret that rankled at her heart, or the disease had wound up her nerves for another paroxysm, certain it is, she all of a sudden broke forth into a violent peal of laughter, which was succeeded by the most doleful cries, and other expressions of grief; then she relapsed into a fit, attended with strong convulsions, to the unspeakable terror of the old gentlewoman, who entreated Doctor Looby to be expeditious in his prescription.
The coachman, and footman, and groom, all blubbered and stared; and one brought water, and one a basin, and the looby of a footman something else, which I must not name; but in his hurry he had snatched up the first utensil that he thought might be of use; I approved of his zeal, but nodded to him to retire.
There was no remedy. Looby was obliged to retreat in his turn; then our adventurer, approaching the bedside, reconnoitred the patient, examined the medicines which had been administered, and lifting up his eyes in expressive silence, detached the footman with a new order to the apothecary.
That she had seen enough to believe he had mistaken the case of poor Biddy, and he could not justly blame her for recalling Doctor Fathom, whose prescription had operated in a miraculous manner. Looby, shocked at this proposal, protested against it with great vehemence, as an expedient highly injurious to himself.
'Now, you looby, said the lawyer, 'cannot you conceive that your business can be nothing to Colonel Mannering, but that he may not choose to have these great ears of thine regaled with his matters? 'Aweel, sir, just as you and he like, so ye see to my business, said Dandie, not a whit disconcerted by the roughness of this reception.
He was not slow in obeying the call, but hastening to the scene of action, was not a little surprised to find Looby still in the apartment.
'Speak out shepherd, said I, 'Do you know, he began, 'my son, the tall Michael, who does not know the lanky looby he is known to almost all the mountaineers, it is indeed the cross of your house, that the idiot is so useless: he will neither work, nor mind the herds; he is so stupid, that he is scarcely considered a member of the church, yet he often enough disturbs the congregation; he is only fit to carry burdens, and prefers living with the dogs, which he frequents as if they were his equals: Is he departed this transitory life? rejoice, for you have one burden less. 'It is not that indeed, exclaimed the old man, incensed, 'Oh, I should not grieve for that: But think, who in the world would have supposed that the long broom-stick would have become a prophet? 'How? cried I, my mouth and eyes wide open with amazement; 'so, a blockhead, who is good for nothing else in the world, may become one of their prophets? I went therefore with the old man, but the affair turned out still more strangely.
She earnestly besought the gentlemen to be reconciled to each other, and enter into a friendly consultation upon her daughter's distemper; but, finding both equally averse to accommodation, and Fathom becoming more and more importunate in his demand, she presented him with a double fee; and giving him to understand that Doctor Looby had long attended the family, and was intimately acquainted with her own and Biddy's constitution, said, she hoped he would not take it amiss if she retained her old physician.
Word Of The Day