“Hoot, ay,” says he, “and a very honest man. And, O, by-the-by,” says he, “was it you that came in with Ebenezer?” And when I had told him yes, “Ye’ll be no friend of his?” he asked, meaning, in the Scottish way, that I would be no relative.
I told him no, none.
“I thought not,” said he, “and yet ye have a kind of gliff[6] of Mr. Alexander.”
AT QUEEN’S FERRY
And the spirit of all that I beheld put me in thoughts of far voyages and foreign places
I said it seemed that Ebenezer was ill-seen in the country.
“Nae doubt,” said the landlord. “He’s a wicked auld man, and there’s many would like to see him girning in the tow:[7] Jennet Clouston and mony mair that he has harried out of house and hame. And yet he was ance a fine young fellow, too. But that was before the sough[8] gaed abroad about Mr. Alexander; that was like the death of him.”
“And what was it?” I asked.