But God's will be
done, humana perpessi sumus. Sir John of Bradwardine--Black Sir John, as
he is called--who was the common ancestor of our house and the
Inch-Grabbits, little thought such a person would have sprung from his
loins. Mean time, he has accused me to some of the primates, the rulers
for the time, as if I were a cut-throat, and an abettor of bravoes and
assassinates and coupe-jarrets. And they have sent soldiers here to abide
on the estate, and hunt me like a partridge upon the mountains, as
Scripture says of good King David, or like our valiant Sir William
Wallace--not that I bring myself into comparison with either. I thought,
when I heard you at the door, they had driven the auld deer to his den at
last; and so I e'en proposed to die at bay, like a buck of the first
head. But now, Janet, canna ye gie us something for supper?' 'Ou ay, sir,
I'll brander the moor-fowl that John Heatherblutter brought in this
morning; and ye see puir Davie's roasting the black hen's eggs. I daur
say, Mr. Wauverley, ye never kend that a' the eggs that were sae weel
roasted at supper in the Ha'-house were aye turned by our Davie? there's
no the like o' him ony gate for powtering wi' his fingers amang the het
peat-ashes and roasting eggs.
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