Page:Life of Mansie Wauch tailor in Dalkeith (1).pdf/17

17 him open his een as fast as he had steekit them. After blackguarding the chield at no allowaneeallowance [sic], eursingcursing [sic] him up hill and down dale, and caaing him every name but a gentleman, he haddit his staff ower his crown, and gripping him by the cuff o’ the neck, askit him what he had made o’ his daughter. Never sineesince [sic] I was born did I ever see siehsich [sic] brazen-faced impudence! The rascel had the brass to say at ance, that he hadna seen word or wittens o’ his daughter for a month, though mair than a hundred folk sitting in his company had seen him dauting her with his arm round her jimpy waist, not five minutes before. As a man, as a father, as an elder of our kirk, my corruption was raised, for I aye hated leeing, as a puir cowardly sin, and an inbreak on the ten commandments: and I fand my neebour Mr Glen, fidgetting on the seat as weel as me; so I thocht, that whacverwhaever [sic] spoke first wad hae the best right to be entitled to the reward; whereupon, just as he was in the act of rising up, I took the word out of his mouth, saying, “Dinna bclievebelieve [sic] him, auld gentleman, dinna believe him, friend; he’s telling a parcel of lees. Never saw her for a month! It’s no worth arguing, or caaing witnesses; just open that press door, and ye’ll see whether I’m speaking truth or no.”

The auld man stared, and lookit dumb-foundered: and the young man, instead of rinning forrit wi’ his double nieves to strike me, the only thing I was feared for, began a laughing, as if I had dune him a gude turn. But never since I had a being, did I ever witness an uproar and noise as immediately took place. The haill