"
"How did you get in then?" asked the marquis.
"I gat in, my lord," began Malcolm, and ceased.
"How did you get in?" repeated the marquis.
"Ow! there's mony w'ys o' winnin' in, my lord. The last time I cam
in but ane, it was 'maist ower the carcass o' Johnny there, wha wad
fain hae hauden me oot, only he hadna my blin' daddy ahint him to
ile 's jints."
"An' dinna ye ca' that brakin' in?" said Bykes.
"Na; there was naething to brak, 'cep it had been your banes, Johnny;
an' that wad hae been a peety--they're sae guid for rinnin wi'."
"You had no right to enter against the will of my gatekeeper," said
his lordship. "What is a gatekeeper for?"
"I had a richt, my lord, sae lang 's I was upo' my leddy's business."
"And what was my lady's business, pray?" questioned the marquis.
"I faun' a buik upo' the links, my lord, which was like to be
hers, wi' the twa beasts 'at stans at yer lordship's door inside
the brod (board) o' 't. An' sae it turned oot to be whan I took it
up to the Hoose. There's the half croon she gae me."
Little did Malcolm think where the daintiest of pearly ears
were listening, and the brightest of blue eyes looking down, half
in merriment, a quarter in anxiety, and the remaining quarter in
interest! On a landing half way up the stair, stood Lady Florimel,
peeping over the balusters, afraid to fix her eyes upon him lest
she should make him look up.
"Yes, yes, I daresay!" acquiesced the marquis; "but," he persisted,
"what I want to know is, how you got in that time.
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