"Why, Rory, why? An owl-pie would not quite suit my complexion.--But, hang it, man, what is wrong? Judging from your own physiog, one might suppose you had been making your dinner on the bird of Minerva yourself." "Maister Twick," said Rory, with a face as sour as vinegar, "I am unwilling to pe uncivil in my own house;--but I red you no to pe sae free wi' your nicknames." "Nicknames!" interjected Twig, in great surprise. "Yes, sir--you have taken tae unwarrantaple liperty of calling me a Solan--yes, sir, a Solan.--Tid you mean it offensively, sir?" "No offence, Mac," shouted Twig, "none in the least.--Offence!--in likening you to Solon, the glory of Greece--the great lawgiver--the _Athenian_ Solon!" Rory grew frantic at this (as he thought) additional insult.--"Creese--Creese!--I ken o' nae Solans, sir, put tae filthy ill-faured pirds tat leeve in tae water." "But Rory, my dear fellow"---- "Ton't tear fellow me, sir.--You may ca' them what ye like, sir, in _Creese_--but a Solan at tae Craik of Ailsa[2] is ca'd a cuse, sir, an' naething else, I ken tat, sir, I ken tat; and if ony shentlemans will tare to liken Roterick Macgregor to sic an ill-flavoured pird, sir, py"---- [2] A remarkable insulated rock in the frith of Clyde, famous for its solan geese, from which (the rock, not the geese) the Marquis of Ailsa takes his title. "I assure you, upon my honour, I said Solon, and not Solan, Mac," quoth Twig. "There, ask Tozy.--You know I would not say an uncivil thing to you, Rory, for the world." We were like to expire with laughter at this, but the Celt was pacified at length, through the good offices of the doctor, and we all held on in good fellowship. But as the evening wore away, the musquittoes began to be very troublesome, as we could _feel_ ourselves, and _hear_, if we had not felt, from their loud buzzing, as well as from our host's sounding slaps on his bare limbs, the kilt not being just the thing for a defence against Monsieur Musquitto. Indeed, after Rory's localities had been fairly explored by these stinging pests, we suffered little, as they left us all (like reasonable animals choosing their food, where it was easiest to be had) in comparative peace, to settle in clouds on the unfortunate Highlander's naked premises. At length he could stand it no longer.--"Tuncan!"--then a loud slap on his thigh;--"Lachlan!"--another slap;--"Macintosh, pring a prush, pring a prush!"--and a negro appeared forthwith with a bunch of green twigs with the leaves on.--"Noo, Macintosh, kang pelow tae table with your prush, and prush my leeks free from tae awful plakues. Prush, ye prute, prush!" This scheme had the desired effect; the enemy was driven off, and Rory, in the fulness and satisfaction of his heart, now insisted on setting Tuncan to give us a regular pibroch, as he called it, on the bagpipe, whether we would or not.