'Very true, Mr. Mannering; I am a plain man and do not dwell on
these things, and I must needs say I have little memory for them;
but I wish ye could have heard my father's stories about the auld
fights of the Mac-Dingawaies--that's the Bertrams that now is--wi'
the Irish and wi' the Highlanders that came here in their berlings
from Ilay and Cantire; and how they went to the Holy Land--that
is, to Jerusalem and Jericho, wi' a' their clan at their heels--
they had better have gaen to Jamaica, like Sir Thomas
Kittlecourt's uncle--and how they brought hame relics like those
that Catholics have, and a flag that's up yonder in the garret. If
they had been casks of muscavado and puncheons of rum it would
have been better for the estate at this day; but there's little
comparison between the auld keep at Kittlecourt and the castle o'
Ellangowan; I doubt if the keep's forty feet of front. But ye make
no breakfast, Mr. Mannering; ye're no eating your meat; allow me
to recommend some of the kipper. It was John Hay that catcht it,
Saturday was three weeks, down at the stream below Hempseed ford,'
etc. etc. etc.

The Laird, whose indignation had for some time kept him pretty
steady to one topic, now launched forth into his usual roving
style of conversation, which gave Mannering ample time to reflect
upon the disadvantages attending the situation which an hour
before he had thought worthy of so much envy. Here was a country
gentleman, whose most estimable quality seemed his perfect good-
nature, secretly fretting himself and murmuring against others for
causes which, compared with any real evil in life, must weigh like
dust in the balance. But such is the equal distribution of
Providence. To those who lie out of the road of great afflictions