--Ha! Richie Moniplies, man, is it thou? And what has brought ye
here? If they should ken thee for the loon that scared the horse the
other day!--"
"No more o' that, neighbour," said Richie,--"I am just here on the
auld errand--I maun speak with the king."
"The king? Ye are red wud," said Linklater; then shouted to his
assistant in the kitchen, "Look to the broches, ye knaves--_pisces
purga_--_Salsamenta fac macerentur pulchre_--I will make you
understand Latin, ye knaves, as becomes the scullions of King James."
Then in a cautious tone, to Richie's private ear, he continued, "Know
ye not how ill your master came off the other day?--I can tell you
that job made some folk shake for their office."
"Weel, but, Laurie, ye maun befriend me this time, and get this wee
bit sifflication slipped into his Majesty's ain most gracious hand. I
promise you the contents will be most grateful to him."
"Richie," answered Linklater, "you have certainly sworn to say your
prayers in the porter's lodge, with your back bare; and twa grooms,
with dog-whips, to cry amen to you."
"Na, na, Laurie, lad," said Richie, "I ken better what belangs to
sifflications than I did yon day; and ye will say that yoursell, if ye
will but get that bit note to the king's hand."
"I will have neither hand nor foot in the matter," said the cautious
Clerk of the Kitchen; "but there is his Majesty's mess of cock-a-
leekie just going to be served to him in his closet--I cannot prevent
you from putting the letter between the gilt bowl and the platter; his
sacred Majesty will see it when he lifts the bowl, for he aye drinks
out the broth.
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