Ere Lord Glenvarloch had time to speculate upon this action, the man
approached with anxiety, and said--"Good lord, my Lord Glenvarloch!--
why will you endanger yourself thus?"
"You know me then, my friend?" said Nigel.
"Not much of that, my lord--but I know your honour's noble house
well.--My name is Laurie Linklater, my lord."
"Linklater!" repeated Nigel. "I should recollect--'
"Under your lordship's favour," he continued, "I was 'prentice, my
lord, to old Mungo Moniplies, the flesher at the wanton West-Port of
Edinburgh, which I wish I saw again before I died. And, your honour's
noble father having taken Richie Moniplies into his house to wait on
your lordship, there was a sort of connexion, your lordship sees."
"Ah!" said Lord Glenvarloch, "I had almost forgot your name, but not
your kind purpose. You tried to put Richie in the way of presenting a
supplication to his Majesty?"
"Most true, my lord," replied the king's cook. "I had like to have
come by mischief in the job; for Richie, who was always wilful, 'wadna
be guided by me,' as the sang says. But nobody amongst these brave
English cooks can kittle up his Majesty's most sacred palate with our
own gusty Scottish dishes. So I e'en betook myself to my craft, and
concocted a mess of friar's chicken for the soup, and a savoury
hachis, that made the whole cabal coup the crans; and, instead of
disgrace, I came by preferment.
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