“Yes, Donald, to be shurely,” replied his friend. “But did you’ll forgot this was ta day ta Queen’s dochter was to be married to ta Tuke o’ Argyll’s son—ta Marquis o’ Lorne?”
“Ay, ay, did you’ll told me that? Well, well, it’s the prood, prood mans ta Queen will be this day.”
On the occasion aforesaid there was, of course, great national rejoicing, and the town of Inverness was, like every other municipality, illuminated at night.
“Dear me, Donald,” exclaimed one local shopkeeper to another, as he issued from his own door, “did you ever behold the likes of that? There’s five-fourths of the whole town under luminations this nicht!”
“Toots, man, Angus, I’ll thought that you know better than spoke like that,” replied his neighbour. “A fourth is a quarter, and five quarters would be more than the whole.”
“Och, Donald Fraser, my lad,” retorted Angus, “I’ve seen too many snowy days not to know what I’ll say. I’ve got cloths in my own shop six-quarters, and that is more—there, now, with your ignorance.”
The following is an amusing instance of the tenacity with which the Highlanders hold to the honours and antiquity of their kindred. A dispute arose between a Campbell and a M’Lean upon the never-ending subject. The M’Lean would not allow that the Campbells had any right to rank with his clan in the matter of antiquity, who, he insisted, were in existence as a clan from the beginning of the world. Campbell had a little more Biblical lore than his antagonist, and asked him if the Clan M’Lean was before the Flood.
“Flood! what flood?” demanded the M’Lean.
“The Flood that you know drowned all the world but Noah and his family, and his flocks and herds,” said Campbell.
“Pooh! you and your flood too,” said the M’Lean. “My clan was before ta Flood.”