 down to see the sport. He hoped Captain
Sholto would be soon hame, or he might shut up his shop entirely; for Mr. Harry
was kept sae close wi' his Latin nonsense, that, though his will was very gude
to be in the wood from morning till night, there would be a hopeful lad lost,
and no making a man of him. It was not so, he had heard, in Lord Ravenswood's
time - when a buck was to be killed, man and mother's son ran to see; and when
the deer fell, the knife was always presented to the knight, and he never gave
less than a dollar for the compliment. And there was Edgar Ravenswood - Master
of Ravenswood that is now - when he goes up to the wood - there hasna been a
better hunter since Tristrem's time - when Sir Edgar hauds out,7 down goes the
deer, faith. But we hae lost a' sense of wood-craft on this side of the hill.«
    There was much in this harangue highly displeasing to the Lord Keeper's
feelings; he could not help observing that his menial despised him almost
avowedly for not possessing that taste for sport, which in those times was
deemed the natural and indispensable attribute of a real gentleman. But the
master of the game is, in all country houses, a man of great importance, and
entitled to use considerable freedom of speech. Sir William, therefore, only
smiled and replied, he had something else to think upon to-day than killing
deer; meantime, taking out his purse, he gave the ranger a dollar for his
encouragement. The fellow received it as the waiter of a fashionable hotel
receives double his proper fee from the hands of a country gentleman, - that is,
with a smile, in which pleasure at the gift is mingled with contempt for the
ignorance of the donor. »Your honour is the bad paymaster,« he said, »who pays
before it is done. What would you do were I to miss the buck after you have paid
me my wood-fee?«
    »I suppose,« said the Keeper, smiling, »you would hardly guess what I mean
were I to tell you of a condictio indebiti?«
    »Not I, on my saul - I guess it is some law phrase - but sue a beggar, and -
your honour knows what follows. - Well, but I will be just with you, and if bow
and brach fail not, you shall have a piece of game two fingers fat on the
