"He proposes so, I think," answered Lord Huntinglen, relapsed into his
reverie for a minute or two, and then addressed Nigel somewhat
abruptly--
"My young friend, when you attain possession of your inheritance, as I
hope you soon will, I trust you will not add one to the idle followers
of the Court, but reside on your patrimonial estate, cherish your
ancient tenants, relieve and assist your poor kinsmen, protect the
poor against subaltern oppression, and do what our fathers used to do,
with fewer lights and with less means than we have."
"And yet the advice to keep the country," said Heriot, "comes from an
ancient and constant ornament of the Court."
"From an old courtier, indeed," said the earl, "and the first of my
family that could so write himself--my grey beard falls on a cambric
ruff and a silken doublet--my father's descended upon a buff coat and
a breast-plate. I would not that those days of battle returned; but I
should love well to make the oaks of my old forest of Dalgarno ring
once more with halloo, and horn, and hound, and to have the old stone-
arched hall return the hearty shout of my vassals and tenants, as the
bicker and the quaigh walked their rounds amongst them. I should like
to see the broad Tay once more before I die--not even the Thames can
match it, in my mind."
"Surely, my lord," said the citizen, "all this might be easily done--
it costs but a moment's resolution, and the journey of some brief
days, and you will be where you desire to be--what is there to prevent
you?"
"Habits, Master George, habits," replied the earl, "which to young men
are like threads of silk, so lightly are they worn, so soon broken;
but which hang on our old limbs as if time had stiffened them into
gyves of iron.
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