Page:Scott - Tales of my Landlord - 3rd series, vol. 2 - 1819.djvu/259

Rh play on the fiddle to them, but for this Allan Lord Ravenswood, that's far waur than ever his father was."

"What," said the Master, "did my father—I mean did his father's son—this last Lord Ravenswood, deprive you of what the bounty of his father allowed you?"

"Ay, troth did he," answered the old man; "for he loot his affairs gang to the dogs, and let in this Sir William Ashton on us, that will gi'e naething for naething, and just removed me and a' the puir creatures that had bite and soup at the castle, and a hole to put our heads in, when things were in the auld way."

"If Lord Ravenswood protected his people, my friend, while he had the means of doing so, I think they might spare his memory," replied Ravenswood.

"Ye are welcome to your ain opinion, sir," said the sexton; "but ye winna persuade me that he did his duty, either to himsel or to huz poor dependent creatures, in guiding us the gate he has done—he