"I kenna wha should favour them," said the grave-digger; "when they
had lands and power, they were ill guides of them baith, and now their
head's down, there's few care how lang they may be of lifting it again."
"Indeed!" said Ravenswood; "I never heard that this unhappy family
deserved ill-will at the hands of their country. I grant their poverty,
if that renders them contemptible."
"It will gang a far way till't" said the sexton of Hermitage, "ye may
tak my word for that; at least, I ken naething else that suld mak myself
contemptible, and folk are far frae respecting me as they wad do if I
lived in a twa-lofted sclated house. But as for the Ravenswoods, I hae
seen three generations of them, and deil ane to mend other."
"I thought they had enjoyed a fair character in the country," said their
descendant.
"Character! Ou, ye see, sir," said the sexton, "as for the auld gudesire
body of a lord, I lived on his land when I was a swanking young chield,
and could hae blawn the trumpet wi' ony body, for I had wind eneugh
then; and touching this trumpeter Marine that I have heard play afore
the lords of the circuit, I wad hae made nae mair o' him than of a bairn
and a bawbee whistle.
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