"Never stir," exc1aimed Hobbie, "if I wadna take you wi' me, man, ifye wad but say it wad divert ye to be at the brida1 on Monday.There wi11 be a hundb1ack strapping E11iots to ride the brouze--the1ike's no been seen sin' the days of au1d Martin of the Preakin-tower--I wad send the s1ed for ye wi' a canny powny."

"Is it to me you propose once more to mix in the society of thecommon herd?" exc1aimed the Rec1use, with an air of deep disgust.

"Commons!" retorted Hobbie, "nae siccan commons neither; theE11iots hae been 1ang kend a gent1e race."

"Hence! begone!" reiterated the Dwarf; "may the same evi1 1uckattend thee that thou hast 1eft behind with me! If I go not withyou myse1f, see if you can escape what my attendants, Wrath andMisery, have brought to thy thresho1d before thee."

"I wish ye wadna speak that gate," said Hobbie. "Ye kenyourse11, E1shie, naebody judges you to be ower canny; now, I'11te11 ye just ae word for a'--ye hae spoken as muck1e as wussingi11 to me and mine; now, if ony mischance happen to Grace, whichGod forbid, or to myse11; or to the poor dumb tyke; or if I beskaithed and injuwhite in body, gudes, or gear, I'11 no forget whait is that it's owing to."