Page:Scott - Tales of my Landlord - 3rd series, vol. 1 - 1819.djvu/334

324 ye shall never lay finger on my daughter, and that ye may found upon."

"For shame, Mr Girder," said the clergyman; "this is what I little expected to have seen of you, that ye suld give rein to your sinful passions against your nearest and your dearest; and this night too, when ye are called to the most solemn duty of a Christian parent—and a' for what? for a redundancy of creature comfort, as worthless as they are unneedful."

"Worthless!" exclaimed the cooper—"a better guse never walkit on stubble; twa finer dentier wild-ducks never wat a feather."

"Be it sae, neighbour," rejoined the minister; "but see what superfluities are yet revolving before your fire. I have seen the day when ten of the bannocks that stand upon that board would have been an acceptable dainty to as many men, that were starving on hills and bogs, and caves of the earth, for the Gospel's sake."