I caught myself but yesterday describing
to Lord M------ the riding of the last
Scottish Parliament, with as much minuteness as
if I had seen it, as my mother did, from the balcony
in front of Lord Moray's Lodging in the
Canongate.''
``I am sure you must have given Lord M------ a
high treat.''
``I treated him to a hearty laugh, I believe,'' she
replied; ``but it is you, you vile seducer of youth,
who lead me into such follies. But I will be on
my guard against my own weakness. I do not
well know if the wandering Jew is supposed to have
a wife, but I should be sorry a decent middle-aged
Scottish gentlewoman should be suspected of identity
with such a supernatural person.''
``For all that, I must torture you a little more,
_ma belle cousine_, with my interrogatories; for how
shall I ever turn author unless on the strength of
the information which you have so often procured
me on the ancient state of manners?''
``Stay, I cannot allow you to give your points
of enquiry a name so very venerable, if I am expected
to answer them. Ancient is a term for antediluvians.
You may catechise me about the
battle of Flodden, or ask particulars about Bruce
and Wallace, under pretext of curiosity after ancient
manners; and that last subject would wake
my Baliol blood, you know.
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