Antiquarians -- Fiction; Beggars -- Fiction; Domestic fiction; Fathers and daughters -- Fiction; Love stories; Scotland -- Fiction
Saxon Whacken, to strike with the hand, as doubtless the skirmishes
near a place of such apparent consequence must have legitimated such a
derivation," etc. etc. etc.
I will be more merciful to my readers than Oldbuck was to his guest;
for, considering his opportunities of gaining patient attention from a
person of such consequence as Lord Glenallan were not many, he used, or
rather abused, the present to the uttermost.
CHAPTER FIFTEENTH.
Crabbed age and youth
Cannot live together:
Youth is full of pleasance,
Age is full of care;
Youth like summer morn,
Age like winter weather;
Youth like summer brave,
Age like winter bare.
Shakspeare.
In the morning of the following day, the Antiquary, who was something
of a sluggard, was summoned from his bed a full hour earlier than his
custom by Caxon. "What's the matter now?" he exclaimed, yawning and
stretching forth his hand to the huge gold repeater, which, bedded upon
his India silk handkerchief, was laid safe by his pillow"what's the
matter now, Caxon?it can't be eight o'clock yet."
"Na, sir,but my lord's man sought me out, for he fancies me your
honour's valley-de-sham,and sae I am, there's nae doubt o't, baith your
honour's and the minister'sat least ye hae nae other that I ken
o'and I gie a help to Sir Arthur too, but that's mair in the way o' my
profession."
"Well, wellnever mind that," said the Antiquary"happy is he that is
his own valley-de-sham, as you call itBut why disturb my morning's
rest?"
"Ou, sir, the great man's been up since peep o' day, and he's steered
the town to get awa an express to fetch his carriage, and it will be
here briefly, and he wad like to see your honour afore he gaes awa."
"Gadso!" ejaculated Oldbuck, "these great men use one's house and time
as if they were their own property. Well, it's once and away. Has Jenny
come to her senses yet, Caxon?"
"Troth, sir, but just middling," replied the barber; "she's been in a
swither about the jocolate this morning, and was like to hae toomed it
a' out into the slap-bason, and drank it hersell in her ecstaciesbut
she's won ower wi't, wi' the help o' Miss M'Intyre."
"Then all my womankind are on foot and scrambling, and I must enjoy my
quiet bed no longer, if I would have a well-regulated houseLend me my
gown. And what are the news at Fairport?"
"Ou, sir, what can they be about but this grand news o' my lord,"
answered the old man, "that hasna been ower the door-stane, they threep
to me, for this twenty yearsthis grand news of his coming to visit your
honour?"
"Aha!" said Monkbarns; "and what do they say of that, Caxon?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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