The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

TIE FORTUNES OF NIGEL. 129
he felt, be unutterably ridiculous; and he only muttered to himself the
words, "Impertinent coxcomb!" which, on this occasion, Sir Mungo's imperfection of organ did not prevent him from hearing and replying to.
" Ay, ay —vera true," exclaimed the caustic old courtier —" Impertinent
coxcombs they are, that thus intrude themselves on the society of their
betters; but your lordship kens how to gar them as gude-ye have the trick
on't.-They had a braw sport in the presence last Friday, how ye suld have
routed a young shopkeeper, horse and foot, ta'en his spolia opima, and a'
the specia he had about him, down to the very silver buttons of his cloak,
and sent him to graze with Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. Muckle
honour redounded to your lordship thereby.-W-~e were tauld the loon threw
himsell into the Thames in a fit of desperation. There's enow of them
behind -there was mair tint on Flodden-edge."
"You have been told a budget of lies, so far as I am concerned, Sir
3Mungo," said Nigel, speaking loud and sternly.
"Vera likely — vera likely," said the unabashed and undismayed Sir
Mungo; "naething but lies are current in the circle. - So the chield is not
drowned, then?-the mair's the pity.-But I never believed that part of the
story - a London dealer has mair wit in his anger. I dare swear the lad
has a bonny broom-shank in his hand by this time, and is scrubbing the
kennels in quest after rusty nails, to help him to begin his pack again.-He
has three bairns, they say; they will help him bravely to grope in the
gutters. Your good lordship may have the ruining of him again, my lord,
if they have any luck in strand-scouring."
" This is more than intolerable," said Nigel, uncertain whether to make
an angry vindication of his character, or to fling the old tormentor from
his arm. But an instant's recollection convinced him, that, to do either,
would only give an air of truth and consistency to the scandals which he
began to see were affecting his character, both in the higher and lower
circles. Hastily, therefore, he formed the wiser resolution, to endure Sir
Mungo's studied impertinence, under the hope of ascertaining, if possible,
from what source those reports arose which were so prejudicial to his reputation.
Sir Mungo, in the meanwhile, caught up, as usual, Nigel's last words, or
rather the sound of them, and amplified and interpreted them in his own
way. " Tolerable luck!" he repeated; "yes, truly, my lord, I am told that
you have tolerable luck, and that ye ken weel how to use that jilting quean,
Dame Fortune, like a canny douce lad, willing to warm yourself in her
smiles, without exposing yourself to her frowns. And that is what I ca'
having luck in a bag."
"Sir Mungo Malagrowther," said Lord Glenvarloch, turning towards him
seriously, "have the goodness to hear me for a moment."
"As weel as I can, my lord-as weel as I can," said Sir Mungo, shaking
his head, and pointing the finger of his left hand to his ear.
" I will try to speak very distinctly," said Nigel, arming himself with
patience. " You take me for a noted gamester: I give you my word that
you have not been rightly informed — I am none such. You owe me some
explanation, at least, respecting the source from which you have derived
such false information."
"I never heard ye were a great gamester, and never thought or said you
were such, my lord," said Sir Mungo, who found it impossible to avoid
hearing what Nigel said with peculiarly deliberate and distinct pronunciation. "I repeat it -- I never heard, said, or thought, that you were a ruffling gamester, - such as they call those of the first head. - Look you, my
lord, I call hin- a gamester, that plays with equal stakes and equal skill, and
stands by the fortune of the game, good or bad; and I call him a ruffling
gamester, or ane of the first head, who ventures frankly and deeply upon
such a wager. But he, my lord, who has the patience and prudence never
Von. VII. — 9