He was a lord of
session, and had taken his title from the place, which he inherited
from his father; who, although a laird, had been so little of a
gentleman, that the lordship had not been enough to make one of his
son. He was yet another of those trim, orderly men, who will
sacrifice anything--not to beauty--of that they have in general no
sense--but to tidiness: tidiness in law, in divinity, in morals, in
estate, in garden, in house, in person--tidiness is in their eyes
the first thing--seemingly because it is the highest creative
energy of which they are capable. Naturally the dwelling of James
Gracie was an eyesore to this man, being visible from not a few of
his windows, and from almost anywhere on the private road to his
house; for decidedly it was not tidy. Neither in truth was it
dirty, while to any life--loving nature it was as pleasant to know,
as it was picturesque to look at. But the very appearance of
poverty seems to act as a reproach on some of the rich--at least
why else are they so anxious to get it out of their sight?--and
Lord Lickmyloof--that was not his real title, but he was better
known by it than by the name of his land: it came of a nasty habit
he had, which I need not at present indicate farther--Lord
Lickmyloof could not bear the sight of the cottage which no painter
would have consented to omit from the landscape. It haunted him
like an evil thing.
[Illustration with caption: COSMO ON HIS WAY TO SCHOOL.
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