means inferior to
Mrs. Margaret in her darning talents, though we must do the Laird's aunt
the justice to assert, that she never darned stockings with more than
three different colours.

His slippers, both sole and upper part, had evidently at one time formed
a covering of a floor, though what the original pattern and colours had
been, could not now be made out. With all this quaintness of attire, the
old man had the general appearance of neatness and cleanliness, and had
it not been for the expression of his countenance, would have been far
from ill-looking.

He received Dymock with a sort of quiet civility, not unlike that which
a cat assumes when she is aware of a mouse, and yet does not perceive
that the moment is come to pounce upon it. Dymock drew near to the
table, and accosted Mr. Salmon with his usual courteous, yet careless
manner, and having apologized for coming at all on such an errand,
wishing that there was no such thing as money in the world, he presented
the inconclusive and inefficient memorandum, which the old gentleman had
given him, "trusting, as he said, that it would be no inconvenience for
him to pay what he conceived would be a mere trifle to him."

Mr. Salmon had, it seems, forgotten to ask Dymock to sit down; indeed,
there was no chair in the room but that occupied by his own person;
however, he took his own note from the Laird's hands, and having
examined it, he said, "But Mr. Dymock, there are conditions,--the
memorandum is conditional, and I understand thereby, that I undertake to
pay such and such moneys for such and such articles."

"Well Sir, and have you not these articles in possession?" asked
Dymock; have I removed a single item, which I told you on the honour of
a gentleman should be yours on such and such conditions, and did you not
tell me that you would pay me a certain sum, on entering into possession
of these articles?"

"What I did say, Sir," replied the old man, "is one thing; or rather
what you choose to assert that I did say, and what is written here is
another thing."

"Sir!" replied Dymock, "Sir! do you give me the lie?--direct or
indirect, I will not bear it; I, a son of the house of Dymock, to be
thus bearded in my own Tower, to be told that what I choose to assert
may not be true; that I am, in fact, a deceiver,--a sharper,--one that
would prevaricate for sordid pelf!" What more the worthy man added, our
history does not say, but that he added much cannot be disp