the society of my almoner, Mr. Gladsmoor, who is a scholar and a man of the
world.«
    Hector, his heart exulting at the thoughts of ranging through the preserves
of Glenallan House, and over the well-protected moors of Clochnaben - nay, joy
of joys! the deer-forest of Strath-Bonnel - made many acknowledgments of the
honour and gratitude he felt. Mr. Oldbuck was sensible of the Earl's attention
to his nephew; Miss M'Intyre was pleased because her brother was gratified; and
Miss Griselda Oldbuck looked forward with glee to the potting of whole bags of
moorfowl and black-game, of which Mr. Blattergowl was a professed admirer. Thus,
- which is always the case when a man of rank leaves a private family where he
has studied to appear obliging, - all were ready to open in praise of the Earl
as soon as he had taken his leave, and was wheeled off in his chariot by the
four admired bays. But the panegyric was cut short, for Oldbuck and his nephew
deposited themselves in the Fairport hack, which, with one horse trotting, and
the other urged to a canter, creaked, jingled, and hobbled towards that
celebrated seaport, in a manner that formed a strong contrast to the rapidity
and smoothness with which Lord Glenallan's equipage had seemed to vanish from
their eyes.
 

                             Chapter Thirty-Seventh

 Yes! I love justice well - as well as you do -
 But since the good dame's blind, she shall excuse me
 If, time and reason fitting, I prove dumb; -
 The breath I utter now shall be no means
 To take away from me my breath in futur
                                                                       Old Play.
 
By dint of charity from the town's-people in aid of the load of provisions he
had brought with him into durance, Edie Ochiltree had passed a day or two's
confinement without much impatience, regretting his want of freedom the less, as
the weather proved broken and rainy.
    »The prison,« he said, »wasna sae dooms bad a place as it was ca'd. Ye had
aye a good roof ower your head to fend aff the weather, and, if the windows
werena glazed, it was the mair airy and pleasant for the summer season. And
there were folk enow to crack wi', and he had bread eneugh to eat, and what need
he fash himsell about the rest o't?«
    The courage of our philosophical mendicant began, however, to abate, when
the sunbeams shone fair on the rusty bars of his grated dungeon,