an unlicensed freedom of debate,
considering the rank and ancient descent of his antagonist. This, with the old
feud of the coach-horses, and the seizure of his manor-place and tower of
strength by Mr. Oldbuck's father, would at times rush upon his mind, and inflame
at once his cheeks and his arguments. And, lastly, as Mr. Oldbuck thought his
worthy friend and compeer was in some respects little better than a fool, he was
apt to come more near communicating to him that unfavourable opinion, than the
rules of modern politeness warrant. In such cases they often parted in deep
dudgeon, and with something like a resolution to forbear each other's company in
future:
 
But with the morning calm reflection came;
 
and as each was sensible that the society of the other had become, through
habit, essential to his comfort, the breach was speedily made up between them.
On such occasions, Oldbuck, considering that the Baronet's pettishness resembled
that of a child, usually showed his superior sense by compassionately making the
first advances to reconciliation. But it once or twice happened that the
aristocratic pride of the far-descended knight took a flight too offensive to
the feelings of the representative of the typographer. In these cases, the
breach between these two originals might have been immortal, but for the kind
exertion and interposition of the Baronet's daughter, Miss Isabella Wardour,
who, with a son, now absent upon foreign and military service, formed his whole
surviving family. She was well aware how necessary Mr. Oldbuck was to her
father's amusement and comfort, and seldom failed to interpose with effect, when
the office of a mediator between them was rendered necessary by the satirical
shrewdness of the one, or the assumed superiority of the other. Under Isabella's
mild influence, the wrongs of Queen Mary were forgotten by her father, and Mr.
Oldbuck forgave the blasphemy which reviled the memory of King William. However,
as she used in general to take her father's part playfully in these disputes,
Oldbuck was wont to call Isabella his fair enemy, though in fact he made more
account of her than any other of her sex, of whom, as we have seen, he was no
admirer.
    There existed another connection betwixt these worthies, which had
alternately a repelling and attractive influence upon their intimacy. Sir Arthur
always wished to borrow; Mr. Oldbuck was not always willing to lend. Mr.
Oldbuck, per contra, always wished to be repaid with regularity; Sir Arthur was
not always, nor indeed often