"To be sure, he canna but hae heard," said the good woman.
"Ay, to be sure it's impossible but I should," said Caleb; "and sae I'll
be the first to kiss ye, joe, and wish you, cooper, much joy of your
preferment, naething doubting but ye ken wha are your friends, and HAVE
helped ye, and CAN help ye. I thought it right to look a wee strange
upon it at first," added Caleb, "just to see if ye were made of the
right mettle; but ye ring true, lad--ye ring true!"
So saying, with a most lordly air he kissed the women, and abandoned
his hand, with an air of serene patronage, to the hearty shake of
Mr. Girder's horn-hard palm. Upon this complete, and to Caleb most
satisfactory, information he did not, it may readily be believed,
hesitate to accept an invitation to a solemn feast, to which were
invited, not only all the NOTABLES of the village, but even his ancient
antagonist, Mr. Dingwall, himself. At this festivity he was, of course,
the most welcome and most honoured guest; and so well did he ply the
company with stories of what he could do with his master, his master
with the Lord Keeper, the Lord Keeper with the council, and the council
with the king [queen], that before the company dismissed (which was,
indeed, rather at an early hour than a late one), every man of note in
the village was ascending to the top-gallant of some ideal preferment by
the ladder of ropes which Caleb had presented to their imagination.
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