'--'Aweel, aweel, Laurie,' said I, 'it may be as you say', but
since I am clear of the tawse and the porter's lodge, sifflicate wha
like, deil hae Richie Moniplies if he come sifflicating here again.'--
And so away I came, and I wasna far by the Temple Port, or Bar, or
whatever they ca' it, when I met with the misadventure that I tauld
you of before."
"Well, my honest Richie," said Lord Nigel, "your attempt was well
meant, and not so ill conducted, I think, as to have deserved so bad
an issue; but go to your beef and mustard, and we'll talk of the rest
afterwards."
"There is nae mair to be spoken, sir," said his follower, "except that
I met ane very honest, fair-spoken, weel-put-on gentleman, or rather
burgher, as I think, that was in the whigmaleery man's back-shop; and
when he learned wha I was, behold he was a kindly Scot himsell, and,
what is more, a town's-bairn o' the gude town, and he behoved to
compel me to take this Portugal piece, to drink, forsooth--my certie,
thought I, we ken better, for we will eat it--and he spoke of paying
your lordship a visit."
"You did not tell him where I lived, you knave?" said the Lord Nigel,
angrily. "'Sdeath! I shall have every clownish burgher from Edinburgh
come to gaze on my distress, and pay a shilling for having seen the
motion of the Poor Noble!"
"Tell him where you lived?" said Richie, evading the question; "How
could I tell him what I kendna mysell? If I had minded the name of the
wynd, I need not have slept in the kirkyard yestreen.
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