Sae, like the minister, I come to the
conclusion--But I hae yer leave, laird, to speyk?"
"Gang on, gang on, Grizzie," said the laird, almost eagerly.
"Weel, laird--I winna say FEART, for I never saw yer lairdship"
--she had got into the way of saying LORDSHIP, and now not
unfrequently said LAIRDSHIP!--"feart afore bull or bully, but I
cud weel believe ye wadna willin'ly anger ane 'at the Lord lats
gang up and doon upo' the earth, whan he wad be far better intil't,
ristin' in 's grave till the resurrection--only he was never ane o'
the sancts! But anent that, michtna ye jist ca' to min', laird,'at
a gi'en gift's yer ain, to du wi' what ye like; an' I wad na heed
man, no to say a cratur 'at belangs richtly to nae warl' ava','at
wad play the bairn, an' want back what he had gi'en. For him, he's
a mere deid man 'at winna lie still. Mony a bairn canna sleep,
'cause he's behavet himsel' ill the day afore! But gi'en, by
coortesy like, he hed a word i' the case, he cudna objec'--that is,
gien he hae onything o' the gentleman left intil him, which nae
doobt may weel be doobtfu'--for wasna he a byous expense wi' his
drink an' the gran' ootlandish dishes he bude to hae! Aften hae I
h'ard auld Grannie say as muckle, an' she kens mair aboot that
portion o' oor history nor ony ither, for, ye see, I cam raither
late intil the faimily mysel'. Sae, as I say, it wad be but fair
the auld captain sud contreebit something to the needcessities o'
the hoose, war it his to withhaud, which I mainteen it is not.
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