He found a good many boxes
standing upon the pavement close by the archway that led to the
inn-yard, and around them had gathered a group of loungers, not too
cold to be interested. These were looking towards the windows of
the inn, where the owner of the boxes had evidently disappeared.
'Saw ye ever sic a sicht in oor toon afore!' said Dooble Sanny, as
people generally called him, his name being Alexander Alexander,
pronounced, by those who chose to speak of him with the ordinary
respect due from one mortal to another, Sandy Elshender. Double
Sandy was a soutar, or shoemaker, remarkable for his love of sweet
sounds and whisky. He was, besides, the town-crier, who went about
with a drum at certain hours of the morning and evening, like a
perambulating clock, and also made public announcements of sales,
losses, &c.; for the rest--a fierce, fighting fellow when in anger
or in drink, which latter included the former.
'What's the sicht, Sandy?' asked Robert, coming up with his hands in
the pockets of his trowsers.
'Sic a sicht as ye never saw, man,' returned Sandy; 'the bonniest
leddy ever man set his ee upo'. I culd na hae thocht there had been
sic a woman i' this warl'.'
'Hoot, Sandy!' said Robert, 'a body wad think she was tint (lost)
and ye had the cryin' o' her. Speyk laicher, man; she'll maybe hear
ye. Is she i' the inn there?'
'Ay is she,' answered Sandy. 'See sic a warl' o' kists as she's
brocht wi' her,' he continued, pointing towards the pile of luggage.
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