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44,573
The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The countenance of honest Keelevin began to brighten, while that of George was clouded and overcast.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Then you do not think you are a daft man?' said the advocate.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Nobody thinks himsel daft.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
I dare say ye think ye're just as wise as me.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
A roar of laughter shook the Court, and Threeper blushed and was disconcerted; but he soon resumed, tartly,-- 'Upon my word, Mr. Walkinshaw, you have a good opinion of yourself.
44,573
The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
I should like to know for what reason?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'That's a droll question to speer at a man,' replied Walter.
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'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
A poll parrot thinks weel o' itsel, which is but a feathered creature, and short o' the capacity of a man by twa hands.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
Mr. Keelevin trembled and grew pale; and the advocate, recovering full possession of his assurance, proceeded,-- 'And so ye think, Mr. Walkinshaw, that the two hands make all the difference between a man and a parrot?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'No, no, sir,' replied Walter, 'I dinna think that,--for ye ken the beast has feathers.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'And why have not men feathers?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'That's no a right question, sir, to put to the like o' me, a weak human creature;--ye should ask their Maker,' said Walter gravely.
44,573
The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The advocate was again repulsed; Pitwinnoch sat doubting the intelligence of his ears, and George shivering from head to foot: a buzz of satisfaction pervaded the whole Court.
44,573
The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Well, but not to meddle with such mysteries,' said Mr. Threeper, assuming a jocular tone, 'I suppose you think yourself a very clever fellow?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'At some things,' replied Walter modestly; 'but I dinna like to make a roos o' mysel.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'And pray now, Mr. Walkinshaw, may I ask what do you think you do best?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Man!
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
an ye could see how I can sup curds and ream--there's no ane in a' the house can ding me.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The sincerity and exultation with which this was expressed convulsed the Court, and threw the advocate completely on his beam-ends.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
However, he soon righted, and proceeded,-- 'I don't doubt your ability in that way, Mr. Walkinshaw; and I dare say you can play a capital knife and fork.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'I'm better at the spoon,' replied Walter laughing.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Well, I must confess you are a devilish clever fellow.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Mair sae, I'm thinking, than ye thought, sir.--But noo, since,' continued Walter, 'ye hae speer't so many questions at me, will ye answer one yoursel?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Oh, I can have no possible objection to do that, Mr. Walkinshaw.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Then,' said Walter, 'how muckle are ye to get frae my brother for this job?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
Again the Court was convulsed, and the questioner again disconcerted.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'I suspect, brother Threeper,' said the Sheriff, 'that you are in the wrong box.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'I suspect so too,' replied the advocate laughing; but, addressing himself again to Walter, he said,-- 'You have been married, Mr. Walkinshaw?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Aye, auld Doctor Denholm married me to Betty Bodle.'
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'And pray where is she?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Her mortal remains, as the headstone says, lie in the kirkyard.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The countenance of Mr. Keelevin became pale and anxious--George and Pitwinnoch exchanged smiles of gratulation.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'You had a daughter?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
said the advocate, looking knowingly to the jury, who sat listening with greedy ears.
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'I had,' said Walter, and glanced anxiously towards his trembling agent.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
And what became of your daughter?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
No answer was immediately given--Walter hung his head, and seemed troubled; he sighed deeply, and again turned his eye inquiringly to Mr. Keelevin.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
Almost every one present sympathized with his emotion, and ascribed it to parental sorrow.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'I say,' resumed the advocate, 'what became of your daughter?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'I canna answer that question.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The simple accent in which this was uttered interested all in his favour still more and more.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Is she dead?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
said the pertinacious Mr. Threeper.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Folk said sae; and what every body says maun be true.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Then you don't, of your own knowledge, know the fact?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Before I can answer that, I would like to ken what a fact is?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The counsel shifted his ground, without noticing the question; and said,-- 'But I understand, Mr. Walkinshaw, you have still a child that you call your Betty Bodle?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
And what business hae ye wi'
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that?' said the natural, offended.
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'I never saw sic a stock o' impudence as ye hae in my life.'
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'I did not mean to offend you, Mr. Walkinshaw; I was only anxious, for the ends of justice, to know if you consider the child you call Betty Bodle as your daughter?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'I'm sure,' replied Walter, 'that the ends o' justice would be meikle better served an ye would hae done wi' your speering.'
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'It is, I must confess, strange that I cannot get a direct answer from you, Mr. Walkinshaw.
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Surely, as a parent, you should know your child!'
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exclaimed the advocate, peevishly.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'An I was a mother ye might say sae.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
Mr. Threeper began to feel, that, hitherto, he had made no impression; and forming an opinion of Walter's shrewdness far beyond what he was led to expect, he stooped, and conferred a short time with Mr. Pitwinnoch.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
On resuming his wonted posture, he said,-- 'I do not wish, Mr. Walkinshaw, to harass your feelings; but I am not satisfied with the answer you have given respecting your child; and I beg you will be a little more explicit.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
Is the little girl that lives with you your daughter?'
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'I dinna like to gie you any satisfaction on that head; for Mr. Keelevin said, ye would bother me if I did.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Ah!' exclaimed the triumphant advocate, 'have I caught you at last?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
A murmur of disappointment ran through all the Court; and Walter looked around coweringly and afraid.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'So Mr. Keelevin has primed you, has he?
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He has instructed you what to say?'
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'No,' said the poor natural; 'he instructed me to say nothing.'
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'Then why did he tell you that I would bother you?'
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'I dinna ken, speer at himsel; there he sits.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'No, sir!
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I ask you,' said the advocate, grandly.
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'I'm wearied, Mr. Keelevin,' said Walter, helplessly, as he looked towards his disconsolate agent.
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'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
May I no come away?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The honest lawyer gave a deep sigh; to which all the spectators sympathizingly responded.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Mr. Walkinshaw,' said the Sheriff, 'don't be alarmed--we are all friendly disposed towards you; but it is necessary, for the satisfaction of the jury, that you should tell us what you think respecting the child that lives with you.'
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Walter smiled and said, 'I hae nae objection to converse wi' a weel-bred gentleman like you; but that barking terrier in the wig, I can thole him no longer.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Well, then,' resumed the judge, 'is the little girl your daughter?'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
''Deed is she--my ain dochter.'
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'How can that be, when, as you acknowledged, every body said your dochter was dead?'
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'But I kent better mysel--my bairn and dochter, ye see, sir, was lang a weakly baby, ay bleating like a lambie that has lost its mother; and she dwin't and dwinlet, and moan't and grew sleepy sleepy, and then she clos'd her wee bonny een, and lay still; and I sat beside her three days and three nights, watching her a' the time, never lifting my een frae her face, that was as sweet to look on as a gowan in a lown May morning.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
But I ken na how it came to pass--I thought, as I look't at her, that she was changet, and there began to come a kirkyard smell frae the bed, that was just as if the hand o' Nature was wising me to gae away; and then I saw, wi' the eye o' my heart, that my brother's wee Mary was grown my wee Betty Bodle, and so I gaed and brought her hame in my arms, and she is noo my dochter.
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But my mother has gaen on like a randy at me ever sin syne, and wants me to put away my ain bairn, which I will never, never do--No, sir, I'll stand by her, and guard her, though fifty mothers, and fifty times fifty brother Geordies, were to flyte at me frae morning to night.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
One of the jury here interposed, and asked several questions relative to the management of the estate; by the answers to which it appeared, not only that Walter had never taken any charge whatever, but that he was totally ignorant of business, and even of the most ordinary money transactions.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The jury then turned round and laid their heads together; the legal gentlemen spoke across the table, and Walter was evidently alarmed at the bustle.--In the course of two or three minutes, the foreman returned a verdict of Fatuity.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
The poor Laird shuddered, and, looking at the Sheriff, said, in an accent of simplicity that melted every heart, 'Am I found guilty?--Oh surely, sir,
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ye'll no hang me, for I cou'dna help it?'
44,573
The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
CHAPTER LVIII The scene in the parlour of Grippy, after the inquiry, was of the most solemn and lugubrious description.--The Leddy sat in the great chair, at the fireside, in all the pomp of woe, wiping her eyes, and, ever and anon, giving vent to the deepest soughs of sorrow.
44,573
The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
Mrs. Charles, with her son leaning on her knee, occupied another chair, pensive and anxious.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
George and Mr. Pitwinnoch sat at the table, taking an inventory of the papers in the scrutoire, and Walter was playfully tickling his adopted daughter on the green before the window, when Mrs. Milrookit, with her husband, the Laird of Dirdumwhamle, came to sympathize and condole with their friends, and to ascertain what would be the pecuniary consequences of the decision to them.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'Come awa, my dear,' said the Leddy to her daughter, as she entered the room;--'Come awa and tak a seat beside me.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
Your poor brother, Watty, has been weighed in the balance o' the Sheriff, and found wanting; and his vessels o' gold and silver, as I may say in the words o' Scripture, are carried away into captivity; for I understand that George gets no proper right to them, as I expeckit, but is obligated to keep them in custody, in case Watty should hereafter come to years o' discretion.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
Hegh Meg!
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but this is a sair day for us a'--and for nane mair sae than your afflicted gude-sister there and her twa bairns.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
She'll be under a needcessity to gang back and live again wi' my mother, now in her ninety-third year, and by course o' nature drawing near to her latter end.'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
And what's to become of you?' replied Mrs. Milrookit.
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
'
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The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
O