And if I had the hen,
she's to pu', and to draw, and to dress; how can I do that, and them
sitting by the only fire we have?"
"Weel, weel, Mysie," said the butler, "bide ye there a wee, and I'll try
to get the lamp wiled away frae them."
Accordingly, Caleb Balderstone entered the apartment, little aware that
so much of his by-play had been audible there. "Well, Caleb, my old
friend, is there any chance of supper?" said the Master of Ravenswood.
"CHANCE of supper, your lordship?" said Caleb, with an emphasis of
strong scorn at the implied doubt. "How should there be ony question
of that, and us in your lordship's house? Chance of supper, indeed! But
ye'll no be for butcher-meat? There's walth o' fat poultry, ready either
for spit or brander. The fat capon, Mysie!" he added, calling out as
boldly as if such a thing had been in existence.
"Quite unnecessary," said Bucklaw, who deemed himself bound in courtesy
to relieve some part of the anxious butler's perplexity, "if you have
anything cold, or a morsel of bread."
"The best of bannocks!" exclaimed Caleb, much relieve; "and, for cauld
meat, a' that we hae is cauld eneugh,--how-beit, maist of the cauld meat
and pastry was gien to the poor folk after the ceremony of interment, as
gude reason was; nevertheless----"
"Come, Caleb," said the Master of Ravenswood, "I must cut this matter
short.
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