"
"However," said the sexton, "this young man Edgar is like to avenge my
wrangs on the haill of his kindred." "Indeed?" said Ravenswood; "why
should you suppose so?"
"They say he is about to marry the daughter of Leddy Ashton; and let her
leddyship get his head ance under her oxter, and see you if she winna
gie his neck a thraw. Sorra a bit, if I were him! Let her alane for
hauding a'thing in het water that draws near her. Sae the warst wish I
shall wish the lad is, that he may take his ain creditable gate o't, and
ally himsell wi' his father's enemies, that have taken his broad lands
and my bonny kail-yard from the lawful owners thereof."
Cervantes acutely remarks, that flattery is pleasing even from the mouth
of a madman; and censure, as well as praise, often affects us, while we
despise the opinions and motives on which it is founded and expressed.
Ravenswood, abruptly reiterating his command that Alice's funeral should
be attended to, flung away from the sexton, under the painful impression
that the great as well as the small vulgar would think of his engagement
with Lucy like this ignorant and selfish peasant.
Pages:
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467