--Strange! that courage and
fidelity--for I will warrant that the knave is stout--should have no
better companion than this swaggering braggadocio humour.--But you
mark me not, friend Davie."
"I do--I do, most heedfully," said Davie.--"For, as the sun goeth
round the dial-plate in twenty-four hours, add, for the moon, fifty
minutes and a half----"
"You are in the seventh heavens, man," said his companion.
"I crave your pardon," replied Davie.--"Let the wheel A go round in
twenty-four hours--I have it--and the wheel B in twenty-four hours,
fifty minutes and a half--fifty-seven being to fifty-four, as fifty-
nine to twenty-four hours, fifty minutes and a half, or very nearly,--
I crave your forgiveness, Master George, and heartily wish you good-
even."
"Good-even?" said Master George; "why, you have not wished me good-day
yet. Come, old friend, lay by these tablets, or you will crack the
inner machinery of _your_ skull, as our friend yonder has got the
outer-case of his damaged.--Good-night, quotha! I mean not to part
with you so easily. I came to get my four hours' nunchion from you,
man, besides a tune on the lute from my god-daughter, Mrs. Marget."
"Good faith! I was abstracted, Master George--but you know me.
Whenever I get amongst the wheels," said Mr. Ramsay, "why, 'tis----"
"Lucky that you deal in small ones," said his friend; as, awakened
from his reveries and calculations, Ramsay led the way up a little
back-stair to the first storey, occupied by his daughter and his
little household.
Pages:
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83