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and a mouth ever on the move； as if masticating something comical。
'You know just as well as I do；' answered Mr。 Cocker； the Marquis of
Boarshead's factor for the surrounding estate。 'He never was in the
way of giving a reason for anything； least of all for his own
movements。'
'Somebody was sayin' to me；' resumed MacGregor； who； in all
probability； invented the story at the moment； 'that the prince took
him kissin' ane o' his servan' lasses； and kickit him oot o' Carlton
Hoose into the street； and he canna win' ower the disgrace o' 't。'
''Deed for the kissin'；' said Mr。 Thomson； a portly；
comfortable…looking man； 'that's neither here nor there； though it
micht hae been a duchess or twa； but for the kickin'； my word！ but
Lord Sandy was mair likly to kick oot the prince。 Do ye min' hoo he
did whan the Markis taxed him wi'？'
'Haud a quaiet sough；' interposed Mr。 Cruickshank； the solicitor；
'there's a drap i' the hoose。'
This was a phrase well understood by the company； indicating the
presence of some one unknown； or unfit to be trusted。
As he spoke he looked towards the farther end of the room； which lay
in obscurity； for it was a large room； lighted only by the four
candles on the table at which the company sat。
'Whaur； Mr。 Cruickshank？' asked the dominie in a whisper。
'There；' answered Sampson Peddie； the bookseller； who seized the
opportunity of saying something； and pointed furtively where the
solicitor had only looked。
A dim figure was descried at a table in the farthest corner of the
room； and they proceeded to carry out the plan they generally
adopted to get rid of a stranger。
'Ye made use o' a curious auld Scots phrase this moment； Mr。
Curshank： can ye explain hoo it comes to beir the meanin' that it's
weel kent to beir？' said the manufacturer。
'Not I； Mr。 MacGregor；' answered the solicitor。 'I'm no philologist
or antiquarian。 Ask the chairman。'
'Gentlemen；' responded Mr。 Innes； taking a huge pinch of snuff after
the word； and then； passing the box to Mr。 Cocker； a sip from his
glass before he went on： 'the phrase； gentlemen； 〃a drap i' the
hoose；〃 no doobt refers to an undesirable presence； for ye're weel
awaur that it's a most unpleasin' discovery； in winter especially；
to find a drop o' water hangin' from yer ceiling； a something； in
short； whaur it has no business to be； and is not accordingly looked
for； or prepared against。'
'It seems to me； Mr。 Innes；' said MacGregor； 'that ye hae hit the
nail； but no upo' the heid。 What mak' ye o' the phrase； no confined
to the Scots tongue； I believe； o' an eaves…drapper？ The whilk； no
doobt； represents a body that hings aboot yer winnock； like a drap
hangin' ower abune it frae the eavestherefore called an eaves
drapper。 But the sort of whilk we noo speak； are a waur sort
a'thegither； for they come to the inside o' yer hoose； o' yer verra
chaumer； an' hing oot their lang lugs to hear what ye carena to be
hard save by a dooce frien' or twa ower a het tum'ler。'
At the same moment the door opened； and a man entered； who was
received with unusual welcome。
'Bless my sowl！' said the president； rising； 'it's Mr。 Lammie！Come
awa'； Mr。 Lammie。 Sit doon； sit doon。 Whaur hae ye been this mony
a day； like a pelican o' the wilderness？'
Mr。 Lammie was a large； mild man； with florid cheeks； no whiskers；
and a prominent black eye。 He was characterized by a certain simple
alacrity； a gentle； but outspeaking readiness； which made him a
favourite。
'I dinna richtly mak' oot wha ye are；' he answered。 'Ye hae unco
little licht here！ Hoo are ye a'； gentlemen？ I s' discover ye by
degrees； and pay my respecks accordin'。'
And he drew a chair to the table。
''Deed I wuss ye wad；' returned MacGregor； in a voice pretentiously
hushed； but none the less audible。 'There's a drap in yon en' o' the
hoose； Mr。 Lammie。'
'Hoot！ never min' the man；' said Lammie； looking round in the
direction indicated。 'I s' warran' he cares as little aboot hiz as
we care aboot him。 There's nae treason noo a…days。 I carena wha
hears what I say。'
'For my pairt；' said Mr。 Peddie； 'I canna help wonnerin' gin it cud
be oor auld frien' Mr。 Faukener。'
'Speyk o' the de'il' said Mr。 Lammie。
'Hoot！ na；' returned Peddie； interrupting。 'He wasna a'thegither the
de'il。'
'Haud the tongue o' ye；' retorted Lammie。 'Dinna ye ken a proverb
whan ye hear 't？ De'il hae ye！ ye're as sharpset as a missionar'。
I was only gaun to say that I'm doobtin' Andrew's deid。'
'Ay！ ay！' commenced a chorus of questioning。
'Mhm！'
'Aaay！'
'What gars ye think that？'
'And sae he's deid！'
'He was a great favourite； Anerew！'
'Whaur dee'd he？'
'Aye some upsettin' though！'
'Ay。 He was aye to be somebody wi' his tale。'
'A gude…hertit crater； but ye cudna lippen till him。'
'Speyk nae ill o' the deid。 Maybe they'll hear ye； and turn roon'
i' their coffins； and that'll whumle you i' your beds；' said
MacGregor； with a twinkle in his eye。
'Ring the bell for anither tum'ler； Sampson；' said the chairman。
'What'll be dune wi' that factory place； noo？ It'll be i' the
market？'
'It's been i' the market for mony a year。 But it's no his ava。 It
belangs to the auld leddy； his mither；' said the weaver。
'Why don't you buy it； Mr。 MacGregor； and set up a cotton mill？
There's not much doing with the linen now；' said Mr。 Cocker。
'Me！' returned MacGregor； with indignation。 'The Lord forgie ye for
mintin' （hinting） at sic a thing； Mr。 Cocker！ Me tak' to coaton！ I
wad as sune spin the hair frae Sawtan's hurdies。 Short fushionless
dirt； that canna grow straucht oot o' the halesome yird； like the
bonnie lint…bells； but maun stick itsel' upo' a buss！set it up！
Coorse vulgar stuff； 'at naebody wad weir but loup…coonter lads
that wad fain luik like gentlemen by means o' the collars and
rufflesan' a' comin' frae the auld loom！ They may weel affoord
se'enteen hunner linen to set it aff wi' 'at has naething but coaton
inside the breeks o' them。'
'But Dr。 Wagstaff says it's healthier；' interposed Peddie。
'I'll wag a staff till him。 De'il a bit o' 't 's healthier！ an'
that he kens。 It's nae sae healthy； an' sae it mak's him mair wark
wi' 's poothers an' his drauchts； an' ither stinkin' stuff。
Healthier！ What neist？'
'Somebody tellt me；' said the bookseller； inwardly conscious of
offence； ''at hoo Lord Sandy himsel' weirs cotton。'
'Ow 'deed； maybe。 And he sets mony a worthy example furbye。 Hoo
mony； can ye tell me； Mr。 Peddie； has he pulled doon frae honest； if
no frae high estate； and sent oot to seek their livin' as he taucht
them？ Hoo mony？'
'Hoot； hoot！ Mr。 MacGregor； his lordship hasn't a cotton shirt in
his possession； I'll be bound；' said Mr。 Cocker。 'And； besides； you
have not to wash his dirty linenor cotton either。'
'That's as muckle as to say； accordin' to Cocker； that I'm no to
speik a word against him。 But I'll say what I like。 He's no my
maister；' said MacGregor； who could drink very little without
suffering in his temper and manners； and who； besides； had a certain
shrewd suspicion as to the person who still sat in the dark end of
the room； possibly because the entrance of Mr。 Lammie had
interrupted the exorcism。
The chairman interposed with soothing words； and the whole company；
Cocker included； did its best to pacify the manufacturer； for they
all knew what would be the penalty if they failed。
A good deal of talk followed； and a good deal of whisky was drunk。
They were waited upon by Meg； who； without their being aware of it；
cast a keen parting glance at them every time she left the room。 At
length the conversation had turned again to Andrew Falconer's death。
'Whaur said ye he dee'd； Mr。 Lammie？'
'I never said he was deid。 I said I was feared 'at he was deid。'
'An' what gars ye say that？ It micht be o' consequence to hae 't
correck；' said the solicitor。
'I had a letter frae my auld frien' and his； Dr。 Anderson。 Ye min'
upo' him； Mr。 Innes； dunna ye？ He's heid o' the medical boord at
Calcutta noo。 He says naething but that he doobts he's gane。 He
gaed up the country； and he hasna hard o' him for sae lang。 We hae
keepit up a correspondence for mony a year noo； Dr。 Anderson an' me。
He was a relation o' Anerew's； ye kena second cousin； or
something。 He'll be hame or lang； I'm thinkin'； wi' a fine
pension。'
'He winna weir a cotton sark； I'll be boon'；' said MacGregor。
'What's the auld leddy gaein' to du wi' that lang…leggit oye
（grandson） o' hers； Anerew's son？' asked Sampson。
'Ow！ he'll be gaein' to the college； I'm thinkin'。 He's a fine lad；
and a clever； they tell me；' said Mr。 Thomson。
'Indeed； he's all that； and more too；' said the school…master。
'There's naething 'ull du but the colle