Clerk. And now, my lords, there is
that young scattergood the Laird of Bucklaw's fine to be disposed upon.
I suppose it goes to my Lord Treasurer?"
"Shame be in my meal-poke, then," exclaimed the Lord Turntippet, "and
your hand aye in the nook of it! I had set that down for a bye-bit
between meals for mysell."
"To use one of your favourite saws, my lord," replied the Marquis, "you
are like the miller's dog, that licks his lips before the bag is untied:
the man is not fined yet."
"But that costs but twa skarts of a pen," said Lord Turntippet; "and
surely there is nae noble lord that will presume to say that I, wha hae
complied wi' a' compliances, taen all manner of tests, adjured all that
was to be abjured, and sworn a' that was to be sworn, for these thirty
years bye-past, sticking fast by my duty to the state through good
report and bad report, shouldna hae something now and then to synd my
mouth wi' after sic drouthy wark? Eh?"
"It would be very unreasonable indeed, my lord," replied the Marquis,
"had we either thought that your lordship's drought was quenchable, or
observed anything stick in your throat that required washing down.
Pages:
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132