But he is a very comely
gentleman, for all that; and a pleasant--a very pleasant gentleman,
sir--and a good-humoured, saving that he is so deaf he can never hear
good of any one, and so wise, that he can never believe it; but he is
a very good-natured gentleman for all that, except when one speaks too
low, or when a hair turns awry.--Did I graze you, sir? We shall put it
to rights in a moment, with one drop of styptic--my styptic, or rather
my wife's, sir--She makes the water herself. One drop of the styptic,
sir, and a bit of black taffeta patch, just big enough to be the
saddle to a flea, sir--Yes, sir, rather improves than otherwise. The
Prince had a patch the other day, and so had the Duke: and, if you
will believe me, there are seventeen yards three quarters of black
taffeta already cut into patches for the courtiers."
"But Sir Mungo Malagrowther?" again interjected Nigel, with
difficulty.
"Ay, ay, sir--Sir Munko, as you say; a pleasant, good-humoured
gentleman as ever--To be spoken with, did you say? O ay, easily to be
spoken withal, that is, as easily as his infirmity will permit. He
will presently, unless some one hath asked him forth to breakfast, be
taking his bone of broiled beef at my neighbour Ned Kilderkin's
yonder, removed from over the way. Ned keeps an eating-house, sir,
famous for pork-griskins; but Sir Munko cannot abide pork, no more
than the King's most Sacred Majesty,[Footnote: The Scots, till within
the last generation, disliked swine's flesh as an article of food as
much as the Highlanders do at present.
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