"One of each kind, no more."
Scotch shrewdness expresses itself in a phraseology all its own, and of which Donald alone possesses the secret. He handles the English language with the talent of the most wily diplomatist. He has a happy knack of combining irony and humour, as the following story shows:
An English author had sent his latest production to several men of letters, requesting them to kindly give him their opinion of his book. A Scotchman replied:
"Many thanks for the book which you did me the honour to send me. I will lose no time in reading it."
Quite a Norman response, only more delicate.
Scotch shrewdness has occasionally a certain smack of mild hypocrisy, which, however, does no harm to anyone.
Here are two examples of it that rather diverted me:
I was in the smoking-room of the Grand Hotel at Glasgow one evening.
Near me, sitting at a little table, were two gentlemen—unmistakably Scotch, as their accent proclaimed.