“Umph-humph!” snorted General Sir Hector Lauchlan MacLean.
“Pray, Hector, what might you mean?”
“Supper, John! Tripe an’ pig’s-trotters—aye, an’ cooked by my ain hand, whateffer—the smell o’ yon wad mak’ Lucullus watter i’ the mou’! Sae dinna froon, lad, but come an’ eat!”
CHAPTER V
THE ALLURE OF SIMPLICITY: MOONLIGHT AND AN ELOPEMENT
“Betty lass,” exclaimed my Lady Herminia, surveying her handsome features in the travelling-mirror, “Old Drury hath lost a notable and vastly clever actress in me! I ha’ played the innocent country wench to such infinite perfection of admiration that the poor fool languishes already ... ogles my charms and talks—of my soul! Oh, a dangerous man, Bet, a wicked wretch—one o’ your soft-spoke, smooth-tongued, dove-eyed, silky, seducing monsters—a very serpent of iniquity, child! But I’m no poor, meek, bread-and-butter miss to be lured to shame or whispered to destruction by any such perfidious and patent villain, not I, Bet!”
“Oh no, my lady!” nodded placid Betty. “No, indeed, mam, heaven knows you’m a sight too clever an’ knowin’——”
“Knowing, woman! Ha, what d’ye mean by ‘knowing,’ pray?”
“La, I don’t know, my lady ... I only know as you know yourself a match for any fine gentleman, villain or no, ever and always, mam——”
“’S bud, but I should hope so, Bet, especially this poor creature!”