After a', there was but beef banes and fat brose; but king's
cauff, your honour kens, is better than ither folk's corn; at ony
rate, it was a' in free awmous.--But I see," he added, stopping short,
"that your honour waxes impatient."
"By no means, Richie," said the young nobleman, with an air of
resignation, for he well knew his domestic would not mend his pace for
goading; "you have suffered enough in the embassy to have a right to
tell the story in your own way. Only let me pray for the name of the
friend who was to introduce you into the king's presence. You were
very mysterious on the subject, when you undertook, through his means,
to have the Supplication put into his Majesty's own hands, since those
sent heretofore, I have every reason to think, went no farther than
his secretary's."
"Weel, my lord," said Richie, "I did not tell you his name and quality
at first, because I thought you would be affronted at the like of him
having to do in your lordship's affairs. But mony a man climbs up in
Court by waur help. It was just Laurie Linklater, one of the yeomen of
the kitchen, that was my father's apprentice lang syne."
"A yeoman in the kitchen--a scullion!" exclaimed Lord Nigel, pacing
the room in displeasure.
"But consider, sir," said Richie, composedly, "that a' your great
friends hung back, and shunned to own you, or to advocate your
petition; and then, though I am sure I wish Laurie a higher office,
for your lordship's sake and for mine, and specially for his ain sake,
being a friendly lad, yet your lordship must consider, that a
scullion, if a yeoman of the king's most royal kitchen may be called a
scullion, may weel rank with a master-cook elsewhere; being that
king's cauff, as I said before, is better than--"
"You are right, and I was wrong," said the young nobleman.
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