tral boar's head, where it was lifted up by the protruding tusks.
These curves disappeared, of course, when he smiled, and his smile,
being a lord's, was generally pronounced irresistible. He was
good-natured, and nowise inclined to stand upon his rank, so long as he
had his own way.

'Any customers by the mail to-night, Miss Naper?' he asked, in a
careless tone.

'Naebody partic'lar, my lord.'

'I thought ye never let anybody in that wasn't particularly particular.
No foot-passengers--eh?'

'Hoot, my lord! that's twa year ago. Gin I had jaloosed him to be a
fren' o' yer lordship's, forby bein' a lord himsel', ye ken as weel 's I
du that I wadna hae sent him ower the gait to Luckie Happit's, whaur
he wadna even be ower sure o' gettin' clean sheets. But gin lords an'
lords' sons will walk afit like ither fowk, wha's to ken them frae ither
fowk?'

'Well, Miss Naper, he was no lord at all. He was nothing but a
factor-body doon frae Glenbucket.'

'There was sma' hairm dune than, my lord. I'm glaid to hear 't. But
what'll yer lordship hae to yer supper?'

'I would like a dish o' your chits and nears (sweetbreads and kidneys).'

'Noo, think o' that!' returned the landlady, laughing. 'You great fowk
wad hae the verra coorse o' natur' turned upside doon to shuit yersels.
Wha ever heard o' caure (calves) at this time o' the year?'

'Well, anything you like. Who was it came by the mail, did you say?'

'I said naebody partic'lar, my lord.'

'Well, I'll just go and have a look at Black Geordie.'

'Verra weel, my lord.--Letty, rin an' luik efter him; and as sune 's
he's roon' the neuk, tell Lizzie no to say a word aboot the leddy. As
sure 's deith he's efter her. Whaur cud he hae heard tell o' her?'

Lord Rothie came, a moment after, sauntering into the bar-parlour, where
Lizzie, the third Miss Napier, a red-haired, round-eyed, white-toothed
woman of forty, was making entries in a book.

'She's a bonnie lassie that, that came in the coach to-night, they say,
Miss Lizzie.'

'As ugly 's sin, my lord,' answered Lizzie.

'I hae seen some sin 'at was nane sae ugly, Miss Lizzie.'

'She wad hae clean scunnert (disgusted) ye, my lord. It's a mercy ye
didna see her.'

'If she be as ugly as all that, I would just like to see her.'

Miss Lizzie saw she had gone too far.

'Ow, deed! gin yer lordship wants to see her, ye may see her at yer
wull. I s' gang and tell her.'

And she rose as if to go.

'No, no. Nothing of