Page:Walter Scott - The Monastery (Henry Frowde, 1912).djvu/41

 drawbrig that has been at the bottom of the water these twal score years: I have seen the fondations when we were sticking saumon. And how the deevil suld he ken ony thing about the auld drawbrig, unless he were a virtuoso?'

David being a virtuoso in his own way, and moreover a landholder and heritor, was a qualified judge of all who frequented his house, and therefore I could not avoid again tying the strings of my knees.

'That 's right, Captain,' vociferated David; 'you twa will be as thick as three in a bed an ance ye forgather. I haena seen the like o' him my very sell since I saw the great Doctor Samuel Johnson on his tower through Scotland, whilk tower is lying in my back parlour for the amusement of my guests, wi' the twa boards torn aff.'

'Then the gentleman is a scholar, David?'

'I'se uphaud him a scholar,' answered David: 'he has a black coat on, or a brown ane, at ony rate.'

'Is he a clergyman?'

'I am thinking no, for he looked after his horse's supper before he spoke o' his ain,' replied mine host.

'Has he a servant?' demanded I.

'Nae servant,' answered David; 'but a grand face o' his ain, that wad gar ony body be willing to serve him that looks upon him.'

'And what makes him think of disturbing me? Ah, David, this has been some of your chattering; you are perpetually bringing your guests on my shoulders, as if it were my business to entertain every man who comes to the George.'

'What the deil wad ye hae me do, Captain?' answered mine host; 'a gentleman lights down, and asks me, in a most earnest manner, what man of sense and learning there is about our town that can tell him about the antiquities of the place, and specially about the auld abbey—ye wadna hae me tell the gentleman a lee? and ye ken weel eneugh there is naebody in the town can say a reasonable word about it, be it no yoursell, except the bedral, and he is as fou as a piper by this time. So, says I, there's