But while he spoke so pleasantly to the
Miss Napiers, and his forehead spread broad and smooth over the
twinkle of his hazel eye, there was a sharp curve on each side of
his upper lip, half-way between the corner and the middle, which
reminded one of the same curves in the lip of his ancestral boar's
head, where it was lifted up by the protruding tusks. These curves
disappeared, of course, when he smiled, and his smile, being a
lord's, was generally pronounced irresistible. He was good-natured,
and nowise inclined to stand upon his rank, so long as he had his
own way.
'Any customers by the mail to-night, Miss Naper?' he asked, in a
careless tone.
'Naebody partic'lar, my lord.'
'I thought ye never let anybody in that wasn't particularly
particular. No foot-passengers--eh?'
'Hoot, my lord! that's twa year ago. Gin I had jaloosed him to be a
fren' o' yer lordship's, forby bein' a lord himsel', ye ken as weel
's I du that I wadna hae sent him ower the gait to Luckie Happit's,
whaur he wadna even be ower sure o' gettin' clean sheets. But gin
lords an' lords' sons will walk afit like ither fowk, wha's to ken
them frae ither fowk?'
'Well, Miss Naper, he was no lord at all. He was nothing but a
factor-body doon frae Glenbucket.'
'There was sma' hairm dune than, my lord. I'm glaid to hear 't.
But what'll yer lordship hae to yer supper?'
'I would like a dish o' your chits and nears (sweetbreads and
kidneys).
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