"
"And this was publicly spoken of me," said Nigel, "and in the king's
presence?"
"Spoken openly?" repeated Sir Mungo Malagrowther; "ay, by my troth was
it--that is to say, it was whispered privately--whilk is as open
promulgation as the thing permitted; for ye may think the Court is not
like a place where men are as sib as Simmie and his brother, and roar
out their minds as if they were at an ordinary."
"A curse on the Court and the ordinary both!" cried Nigel,
impatiently.
"With all my heart," said the knight; "I have got little by a knight's
service in the Court; and the last time I was at the ordinary, I lost
four angels."
"May I pray of you, Sir Mungo, to let me know," said Nigel, "the names
of those who thus make free with the character of one who can be but
little known to them, and who never injured any of them?"
"Have I not told you already," answered Sir Mungo, "that the king said
something to that effect--so did the Prince too;--and such being the
case, ye may take it on your corporal oath, that every man in the
circle who was not silent, sung the same song as they did."
"You said but now," replied Glenvarloch, "that Lord Dalgarno
interfered in my behalf."
"In good troth did he," answered Sir Mungo, with a sneer; "but the
young nobleman was soon borne down--by token, he had something of a
catarrh, and spoke as hoarse as a roopit raven.
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