Page:Tales of my landlord (Volume 2).djvu/236

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228
TALES OF MY LANDLORD.

the table, being somewhat overawed by Bothwell's genealogy, but yet hitching his seat half a yard nearer at every clause of his speech, "my leddy was importunate to have a bottle of that Burgundy," (here he advanced his seat a little)—"but I dinna ken how it was, Mr Stuart, I misdoubted him. I jaloused him, sir, no to be the friend to government he pretends; the family are not to lippen to. That auld Duke James lost his heart before he lost his head; and the Worcester man was but wersh parritch, neither gude to fry, boil, nor sup cauld." (With this witty observation he completed his first parallel, and commenced a zigzag after the manner of an experienced engineer, in order to conti- nue his approaches to the table.) "Sae, sir, the faster my leddy cried 'Burgundy to his Grace—the auld Burgundy—the choice Burgundy—the Burgundy that cam ower in the thirty-nine'—the mair did I say to mysel, de'il a drap gangs down his hause unless I was mair sensible o' his principles;