Muckle honour redounded to your
lordship thereby.--We were tauld the loon threw himsell into the
Thames in a fit of desperation. There's enow of them behind--there was
mair tint on Flodden-edge."
"You have been told a budget of lies, so far as I am concerned, Sir
Mungo," said Nigel, speaking loud and sternly.
"Vera likely--vera likely," said the unabashed and undismayed Sir
Mungo; "naething but lies are current in the circle.--So the chield is
not drowned, then?--the mair's the pity.--But I never believed that
part of the story--a London dealer has mair wit in his anger. I dare
swear the lad has a bonny broom-shank in his hand by this time, and is
scrubbing the kennels in quest after rusty nails, to help him to begin
his pack again.--He has three bairns, they say; they will help him
bravely to grope in the gutters. Your good lordship may have the
ruining of him again, my lord, if they have any luck in strand-
scouring."
"This is more than intolerable," said Nigel, uncertain whether to make
an angry vindication of his character, or to fling the old tormentor
from his arm. But an instant's recollection convinced him, that, to do
either, would only give an air of truth and consistency to the
scandals which he began to see were affecting his character, both in
the higher and lower circles. Hastily, therefore, he formed the wiser
resolution, to endure Sir Mungo's studied impertinence, under the hope
of ascertaining, if possible, from what source those reports arose
which were so prejudicial to his reputation.
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