FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   >>   >|  
ns, where the Antiquary had to undergo a chiding from his sister, who, though no philosopher, was waiting to deliver a lecture to him in the portico. "Guide us, Monkbarns! are things no dear eneugh already, but ye maun be raising the very fish on us, by giving that randy, Luckie Mucklebackit, just what she likes to ask?" "Why, Grizel," said the sage, somewhat abashed at this unexpected attack, "I thought I made a very fair bargain." "A fair bargain! when ye gied the limmer a full half o' what she seekit!--An ye will be a wife-carle, and buy fish at your ain hands, ye suld never bid muckle mair than a quarter. And the impudent quean had the assurance to come up and seek a dram--But I trow, Jenny and I sorted her!" "Truly," said Oldbuck (with a sly look to his companion), "I think our estate was gracious that kept us out of hearing of that controversy.--Well, well, Grizel, I was wrong for once in my life ultra crepidam--I fairly admit. But hang expenses!--care killed a cat--we'll eat the fish, cost what it will.--And then, Lovel, you must know I pressed you to stay here to-day, the rather because our cheer will be better than usual, yesterday having been a gaude' day--I love the reversion of a feast better than the feast itself. I delight in the analecta, the collectanea, as I may call them, of the preceding day's dinner, which appear on such occasions--And see, there is Jenny going to ring the dinner-bell." CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. Be this letter delivered with haste--haste--post-haste! Ride, villain, ride,--for thy life--for thy life--for thy life. Ancient Indorsation of Letters of Importance. Leaving Mr. Oldbuck and his friend to enjoy their hard bargain of fish, we beg leave to transport the reader to the back-parlour of the post-master's house at Fairport, where his wife, he himself being absent, was employed in assorting for delivery the letters which had come by the Edinburgh post. This is very often in country towns the period of the day when gossips find it particularly agreeable to call on the man or woman of letters, in order, from the outside of the epistles, and, if they are not belied, occasionally from the inside also, to amuse themselves with gleaning information, or forming conjectures about the correspondence and affairs of their neighbours. Two females of this description were, at the time we mention, assisting, or impeding, Mrs. Mailsetter in her official
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
bargain
 

Grizel

 

Oldbuck

 
dinner
 
letters
 
Ancient
 

reversion

 

friend

 

Letters

 

Importance


Leaving
 
Indorsation
 

delivered

 

occasions

 

preceding

 

CHAPTER

 

FIFTEENTH

 

analecta

 

delight

 

villain


collectanea
 

letter

 

delivery

 
gleaning
 

information

 
conjectures
 
forming
 

inside

 

belied

 

occasionally


correspondence

 

assisting

 
mention
 
impeding
 

official

 
Mailsetter
 

neighbours

 

affairs

 

females

 

description


epistles

 

Fairport

 
employed
 

absent

 
master
 
transport
 

reader

 

parlour

 
assorting
 

agreeable