hope, Monsieur, ye were moderate in
yer present. A castle-fu' o' drunk men is as bad as a headfu' o'
intoxicated notions."

("Hurrah for the French merchant! Long life to him! May he continue as
strong as his liquor!")

"Aha! the jolly good fellows are feeling the sting of the spirit," said
the merchant, with sparkling eyes.

"Ungratefu' dogs!" rejoined Innerkepple; "I treat them as if they were
my sons, and hear hoo they praise a stranger for a bellyfu' o' wine! My
beer never produced sae muckle froth o' flattery. But this wine o'
yours, Monsieur, drowns a' my indignation."

("Long life to Innerkepple and the fair Katherine!")

"Now you are getting the grand adulation," said the Frenchman. "Ha! they
are a jovial troup of good chaps, and deserve one grand potation; but I
gave them only one leetle hamper, for fear they should get _mouille_."

"Very considerate, Monsieur, very prudent and kind," said the baron;
"for twa-thirds o' my men are fechtin fer Jamie, and we hae a kittle
neebor in Otterstone, whase son I hear has come hame frae St. Omers.
By-the-by, saw ye the callant in France? They say he's sair ashamed o'
the defeat o' his father by the generalship o' my dochter Kate."

"Ha! did _ma chere_ leddy combattre Otterstone?" ejaculated the
Frenchman, laughing. "Very good! ha! ha! ha! I did not know that, ven I
sold him one quantity of vin yesterday; but I assure you, _mon cher_
Innerkepple, he is not at all your enemy, and his son did praise _ma
chere_ leddy as the most magnificent vench in all the contree."

("Excellently sustained," muttered Katherine to herself. "How I do love
the roll of that dark eye, and the curl of that lip covered with the
black moustache! Can so much beauty conceal a deadly purpose? But the
'magnificent vench' shall earn yet a better title to the soubriquet out
of thy discomfiture, fair, deceitful, sweet devil.")

"I only wish I had Otterstone whar you are, man," said Innerkepple, "wi'
the liquor as sweet an' my bile nae bitterer. I would conquer him in
better style than did my dochter, though, I confess, she man[oe]uvred
him beautifully."

("Perdition to the faes o' Innerkepple! and, chief o' them, the fause
Otterstone, the leddy-licked loon!")

"Helas! The master and the men have the very different creeds," said the
Frenchman, shrugging his shoulders; "but my vin is making the _bon_
companions choleric. Ha! ha!"

("It is--it is!" muttered Katherine, as she strained her eyes to