What think ye, my
lords?--few of you would have thought I had a hawk's eye for sic gear;
but we thank God, that though we are old, we know so much of such toys
as may beseem a man of decent gravity. Weel, my lords, we questioned
this maiden in male attire ourselves, and I profess it was a very
pretty interrogatory, and well followed. For, though she at first
professed that she assumed this disguise in order to countenance the
woman who should present us with the Lady Hermione's petition, for
whom she professed entire affection; yet when we, suspecting _anguis
in herba_, did put her to the very question, she was compelled to own
a virtuous attachment for Glenvarlochides, in such a pretty passion of
shame and fear, that we had much ado to keep our own eyes from keeping
company with hers in weeping. Also, she laid before us the false
practices of this Dalgarno towards Glenvarlochides, inveigling him
into houses of ill resort, and giving him evil counsel under pretext
of sincere friendship, whereby the inexperienced lad was led to do
what was prejudicial to himself, and offensive to us. But, however
prettily she told her tale, we determined not altogether to trust to
her narration, but rather to try the experiment whilk we had devised
for such occasions. And having ourselves speedily passed from
Greenwich to the Tower, we constituted ourselves eavesdropper, as it
is called, to observe what should pass between Glenvarlochides and his
page, whom we caused to be admitted to his apartment, well judging
that if they were of counsel together to deceive us, it could not be
but something of it would spunk out--And what think ye we saw, my
lords?--Naething for you to sniggle and laugh at, Steenie--for I
question if you could have played the temperate and Christian-like
part of this poor lad Glenvarloch.
Pages:
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661