Page:Tales of my landlord (Volume 2).djvu/197

 betwixt your fingers," answered Bothwell.

"O, for pity's sake, sir," said old Alison apart to her master, "gi'e them siller—it's siller they're seeking—they'll murder Mr Henry, and yoursel next."

Milnwood groaned in perplexity and bitterness of spirit, and with a tone, as if he was giving up the ghost, exclaimed, "If twenty p—p—punds would make up this unhappy matter"

My master," insinuated Alison to the serjeant, "would gi'e twenty punds sterling."

"Punds Scotch, you b—h," interrupted Milnwood, for the agony of his avarice overcame alike his puritanic precision and the habitual respect he entertained for his housekeeper.

"Punds sterling," insisted the house-keeper, "if ye wad hae the gudeness to look ower the lad's misconduct; he's that dour ye might tear him to pieces, and ye wad ne'er get a word out o' him; and it