Redgauntlet [222]
sly in the Quaker,' said Nanty, apart, 'to make him pay for his liquor before he gives it him. Now, I am such a fool, that I should have let him get too drunk to open his mouth, before I thought of asking him a question.'
'My name is Peter Peebles, then,' said the litigant, rather sulkily, as one who thought his liquor too sparingly meted out to him; 'and what have you to say to that?'
'Peter Peebles?' repeated Nanty Ewart and seemed to muse upon something which the words brought to his remembrance, while the Quaker pursued his examination.
'But I prithee, Peter Peebles, what is thy further designation? Thou knowest, in our country, that some men are distinguished by their craft and calling, as cordwainers, fishers, weavers, or the like, and some by their titles as proprietors of land (which savours of vanity)--now, how may you be distinguished from others of the same name?'
'As Peter Peebles of the great plea of Poor Peter Peebles against Plainstanes, ET PER CONTRA--if I am laird of naething else, I am ay a DOMINUS LITIS.'
'It's but a poor lairdship, I doubt,' said Joshua.
'Pray, Mr, Peebles,' said Nanty, interrupting the conversation abruptly, 'were not you once a burgess of Edinburgh?'
'WAS I a burgess!' said Peter indignantly, 'and AM I not a burgess even now? I have done nothing to forfeit my right, I trow--once provost and ay my lord.'
'Well, Mr. Burgess, tell me further, have you not some property in the Gude Town?' continued Ewart.
'Troth have I--that is, before my misfortunes, I had twa or three bonny bits of mailings amang the closes and wynds, forby the shop and the story abune it. But Plainstanes has put me to the causeway now. Never mind though, I will be upsides with him yet.'
'Had not you once a tenement in the Covenant Close?' again demanded Nanty.
'You have hit it, lad, though ye look not like a Covenanter,' said Peter; 'we'll drink to its memory--(Hout! the heart's at the mouth o' that ill-faur'd bit stoup already!)--it brought a rent, reckoning from the crawstep to the groundsill, that ye might ca' fourteen punds a year, forby the laigh cellar that was let to Lucky Littleworth.'
'And do you not remember that you had a poor old lady for your tenant, Mrs. Cantrips of Kittlebasket?' said Nanty, suppressing his emotion with difficulty.
'Remember! G--d, I have gude cause to remember her,' said Peter, 'for she turned a dyvour on my hands, the auld besom! and after a' that the law could do to make me satisfied and paid, in the way of poinding and distrenzieing and sae forth, as the law will, she ran awa to the charity workhouse, a matter of twenty punds Scots in my debt--it's a great shame and oppression that charity workhouse, taking in bankrupt dyvours that canna, pay their honest creditors.'
'Methinks, friend,' said the Quaker, 'thine own rags might teach thee compassion for other people's nakedness.'
'Rags!' said Peter, taking Joshua's words literally; 'does ony wise body put on their best coat when they are travelling, and keeping company with Quakers, and such other cattle as the road affords?'
'The old lady DIED, I have heard,' said Nanty, affecting a moderation which was belied by accents that faltered with passion.
'She might live or die, for what I care,' answered Peter the Cruel; 'what business have folk to do to live that canna live as law will, and satisfy their just and lawful creditors?'
'And you--you that are now yourself trodden down in the very kennel, are you not sorry for what you have done? Do you not repent having occasioned the poor widow woman's death?'
'What for should I repent?' said Peter; 'the law was on my side --a decreet of the bailies, followed by poinding, and an act of warding--a suspension intented, and the letters found orderly proceeded. I followed the auld rudas through twa courts--she cost me mair money than her lugs were worth.'
'Now, by Heaven!' said Nanty, 'I would give a thousand guineas, if I had them, to have you worth my beating! Had you said you repented, it had been between God and your
'My name is Peter Peebles, then,' said the litigant, rather sulkily, as one who thought his liquor too sparingly meted out to him; 'and what have you to say to that?'
'Peter Peebles?' repeated Nanty Ewart and seemed to muse upon something which the words brought to his remembrance, while the Quaker pursued his examination.
'But I prithee, Peter Peebles, what is thy further designation? Thou knowest, in our country, that some men are distinguished by their craft and calling, as cordwainers, fishers, weavers, or the like, and some by their titles as proprietors of land (which savours of vanity)--now, how may you be distinguished from others of the same name?'
'As Peter Peebles of the great plea of Poor Peter Peebles against Plainstanes, ET PER CONTRA--if I am laird of naething else, I am ay a DOMINUS LITIS.'
'It's but a poor lairdship, I doubt,' said Joshua.
'Pray, Mr, Peebles,' said Nanty, interrupting the conversation abruptly, 'were not you once a burgess of Edinburgh?'
'WAS I a burgess!' said Peter indignantly, 'and AM I not a burgess even now? I have done nothing to forfeit my right, I trow--once provost and ay my lord.'
'Well, Mr. Burgess, tell me further, have you not some property in the Gude Town?' continued Ewart.
'Troth have I--that is, before my misfortunes, I had twa or three bonny bits of mailings amang the closes and wynds, forby the shop and the story abune it. But Plainstanes has put me to the causeway now. Never mind though, I will be upsides with him yet.'
'Had not you once a tenement in the Covenant Close?' again demanded Nanty.
'You have hit it, lad, though ye look not like a Covenanter,' said Peter; 'we'll drink to its memory--(Hout! the heart's at the mouth o' that ill-faur'd bit stoup already!)--it brought a rent, reckoning from the crawstep to the groundsill, that ye might ca' fourteen punds a year, forby the laigh cellar that was let to Lucky Littleworth.'
'And do you not remember that you had a poor old lady for your tenant, Mrs. Cantrips of Kittlebasket?' said Nanty, suppressing his emotion with difficulty.
'Remember! G--d, I have gude cause to remember her,' said Peter, 'for she turned a dyvour on my hands, the auld besom! and after a' that the law could do to make me satisfied and paid, in the way of poinding and distrenzieing and sae forth, as the law will, she ran awa to the charity workhouse, a matter of twenty punds Scots in my debt--it's a great shame and oppression that charity workhouse, taking in bankrupt dyvours that canna, pay their honest creditors.'
'Methinks, friend,' said the Quaker, 'thine own rags might teach thee compassion for other people's nakedness.'
'Rags!' said Peter, taking Joshua's words literally; 'does ony wise body put on their best coat when they are travelling, and keeping company with Quakers, and such other cattle as the road affords?'
'The old lady DIED, I have heard,' said Nanty, affecting a moderation which was belied by accents that faltered with passion.
'She might live or die, for what I care,' answered Peter the Cruel; 'what business have folk to do to live that canna live as law will, and satisfy their just and lawful creditors?'
'And you--you that are now yourself trodden down in the very kennel, are you not sorry for what you have done? Do you not repent having occasioned the poor widow woman's death?'
'What for should I repent?' said Peter; 'the law was on my side --a decreet of the bailies, followed by poinding, and an act of warding--a suspension intented, and the letters found orderly proceeded. I followed the auld rudas through twa courts--she cost me mair money than her lugs were worth.'
'Now, by Heaven!' said Nanty, 'I would give a thousand guineas, if I had them, to have you worth my beating! Had you said you repented, it had been between God and your