"The closing o' the king's customs."
"Ay, Neil told me."
"Weel?"
"Weel, since you ask me, I say it was gude news."
"Noo, Janet, we'll hae to come to an understanding. If I hae swithered in my loyalty before, I'll do sae nae mair. From this hour, me and my house will serve King George. I'll hae nae treason done in it, nor said; no, nor even thocht o'."
"You'll be a vera Samson o' strength, and a vera Solomon o' wisdom, if you keep the hands and the tongues and the thochts o' this house. Whiles, you canna vera weel keep the door o' your ain mouth, gudeman. What's come o'er you, at a'?"
"I'm surely master in my ain house, Janet."
"'Deed, you are far from being that, Alexander Semple. Doesna King George quarter his men in it? And havena you to feed and shelter them, and to thole their ill tempers and their ill ways, morning, noon, and night? You master in your ain house! You're just a naebody in it!"
"Dinna get on your high horse, madam. Things are coming to the upshot: there's nae doot o' it."
"They've been lang aboot it—too lang."