nglish pride, has
sae muckle, and kens sae little how to guide it! Sae they began to jeer
the Laird, that he saw nae sic graith in his ain poor country; and
the Laird, scorning to hae his country put down without a word for its
credit, swore, like a gude Scotsman, that he had mair candlesticks, and
better candlesticks, in his ain castle at hame, than were ever lighted
in a hall in Cumberland, an Cumberland be the name o' the country."

"That was patriotically said," observed Lord Menteith.

"Fary true," said Donald; "but her honour had better hae hauden her
tongue: for if ye say ony thing amang the Saxons that's a wee by
ordinar, they clink ye down for a wager as fast as a Lowland smith would
hammer shoon on a Highland shelty. An' so the Laird behoved either to
gae back o' his word, or wager twa hunder merks; and sa he e'en tock the
wager, rather than be shamed wi' the like o' them. And now he's like to
get it to pay, and I'm thinking that's what makes him sae swear to come
hame at e'en."

"Indeed," said Lord Menteith, "from my idea of your family plate,
Donald, your master is certain to lose such a wager."

"Your honour may swear that; an' where he's to get the siller I kenna,
although he borrowed out o' twenty purses. I advised him to pit the twa
Saxon gentlemen and their servants cannily into the pit o' the tower
till they gae up the bagain o' free gude-will, but the Laird winna hear
reason."

Allan here started up, strode forward, and interrupted the conversation,
saying to the domestic in a voice like thunder, "And how dared you to
give my brother such dishonourable advice? or how dare you to say he
will lose this or any other wager which it is his pleasure to lay?"

"Troth, Allan M'Aulay," answered the old man, "it's no for my father's
son to gainsay what your father's son thinks fit to say, an' so the
Laird may no doubt win his wager. A' that I ken against it is, that the
teil a candlestick, or ony thing like it, is in the house, except the
auld airn branches that has b

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