Transcript

032 - Chapter 10 · Pirate

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Speaker 1: Chapter ten of the Pirate by Sir Walter Scott. This
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Dion
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Speaker 1: Jin's cet Lake City, Utah. What ho, my jovial mates
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Speaker 1: come on, will frolic it like fairies frisking in the
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Speaker 1: merry moonshine Seen by the kerdel friar, who from some
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Speaker 1: christening or some blithe bridle highes belated cell ward, he
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Speaker 1: starts and changes his bold bottle swagger to churchman's pace,
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Speaker 1: professional and ransacking his treacherous memory for some holy hymn finds.
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Speaker 1: But the roundel of the midnight catch old play. The
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Speaker 1: stride of the u dollar relaxed nothing of its length
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Speaker 1: or of its firmness as he approached the glimmering cabin,
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Speaker 1: from which he now heard distinctly the sound of the fiddle.
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Speaker 1: But if still long and firm, his steps succeeded each
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Speaker 1: other rather more slowly than usual, For like a cautious
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Speaker 1: though a brave general, Madness was willing to reconnoiter his
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Speaker 1: enemy before assailing him. The trustee, Lawrence Sholey, who kept
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Speaker 1: close behind his master, now whispered into his ear, So
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Speaker 1: help me, sir, as I believe that the ghost, if
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Speaker 1: ghost it be, that plays so bravely on the fiddle,
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Speaker 1: must be the ghost of Master Claude Hulcrow, or his
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Speaker 1: wraith at least, for never was bow drawn across therm
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Speaker 1: which brought out the good old spring of fair and lucky.
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Speaker 1: So like his own madness, was himself much of the
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Speaker 1: same opinion, for he knew the blithe minstrels of the
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Speaker 1: spirited little old man, and hailed the hut with a
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Speaker 1: hearty hello, which was immediately replied to by the cheery
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Speaker 1: note of his ancient messmate, and Halcrow himself presently made
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Speaker 1: his appearance on the beach. The u dollar now signed
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Speaker 1: to his retinue to come up, while he asked his friend,
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Speaker 1: after a kind greeting and much shaking of hands, how
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Speaker 1: the devil he came to sit there, playing old tunes
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Speaker 1: in so desolate a place, like an owl whooping to
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Speaker 1: the moon. And tell me, rather foud, said Claude Hulcrow,
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Speaker 1: how you came to be within hearing of me? I,
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Speaker 1: by my word, and with your bonnie daughters too, Jardo
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Speaker 1: Minna and Jardo Brenda, I bid you welcome to these
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Speaker 1: yellow sands, And there shake hands, as glorious John or
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Speaker 1: some other body says, upon the same occasion, and how
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Speaker 1: came you here like two fair swans, making day out
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Speaker 1: of twilight, and turning all you step upon to silver.
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Speaker 1: You shall know all about them, presently, answered Magnus. But
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Speaker 1: what messmates have you got in the hut with you?
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Speaker 1: I think I hear someone speaking, none, replied Claude Halcrow.
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Speaker 1: But that poor creature, the factor, and my imp of
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Speaker 1: a boy Giles. Aye. But come in, come in here
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Speaker 1: you will find us starving in comfort, not so much
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Speaker 1: as a mouthful of sour silks to be had for
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Speaker 1: love or money, that may be in a small part helped,
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Speaker 1: said the u Dollar. For though the best of our
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Speaker 1: supper is gone over the fitful crags, to the sil
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Speaker 1: cheese and the dogfish, yet we have got some thing
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Speaker 1: in the kit still here, Laurie, bring up the vifda
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Speaker 1: jockal jockal, was Lawrence's joyful answer, and he hastened for
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Speaker 1: the basket by the bicker of Saint Magnus, said Holcrow,
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Speaker 1: and the burliest bishop that ever quaffed it. For Luck's sake,
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Speaker 1: there is no finding your locker empty, Magnus, I believe
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Speaker 1: sincerely that air of friend wanted you could, like old
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Speaker 1: Luggy the warlock fish up boiled and roasted out of
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Speaker 1: the pool of kibster. You are wrong there, Jardo Clod,
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Speaker 1: said Magnus Troyle, For far from helping me to a supper,
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Speaker 1: the foul fiend I believe has carried off great part
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Speaker 1: of mine this blessed evening. But you are welcome to
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Speaker 1: share and share of what is left. This was said
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Speaker 1: while the party entered the hut. Here in a cabin
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Speaker 1: which smelled strongly of dried fish, and whose sides and
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Speaker 1: roof were jet black with smoke, they found the unhappy
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Speaker 1: Tryptolemus yellowly seated beside a fire made of dried seaweed,
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Speaker 1: mingled with some peats and wreckwood. His sole companion, a barefooted,
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Speaker 1: yellow haired Zetland boy who acted occasionally as a kind
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Speaker 1: of page to Claude Hulcrow, bearing his fiddle upon his shoulder,
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Speaker 1: saddling his pony, and rendering him similar duties of kindly observance.
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Speaker 1: The disconsolate agriculturist, for such his visage betokened him, displayed
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Speaker 1: little surprise and less animation at the arrival of the
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Speaker 1: u Dollar and his companions until after the party had
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Speaker 1: drawn close to the fire a neighborhood which the dampness
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Speaker 1: of the night air rendered far from disagreeable. The pannier
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Speaker 1: was opened, and a tolerable supply of barley, bread and
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Speaker 1: hung beef, besides a flask of brandy, no doubt smaller
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Speaker 1: than that which the relentless hand of Pacolette had emptied
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Speaker 1: into the ocean, gave assurances of a tolerable supper. Then, indeed,
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Speaker 1: the worthy Factor grinned, chuckled, rubbed his hands and inquired
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Speaker 1: after all friends at Burguestra, when they had all partaken
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Speaker 1: of this needful refreshment, the u Dollar repeated his enquiries
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Speaker 1: of Hulcrow, and more particularly of the Factor, how they
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Speaker 1: came to be nestled in such a remote corner at
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Speaker 1: such an hour of night. Master Magnus Troyle, said Triptolemus,
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Speaker 1: when a second cup had given him spirits to tell
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Speaker 1: his tale of woe. I would not have you think
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Speaker 1: that it is a little thing that disturbs me. I
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Speaker 1: came of that grain that takes a sore wind to
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Speaker 1: shake it. I have seen many a marten mass, and
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Speaker 1: many a whit Sunday in my day. Wilk are the
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Speaker 1: times peculiarly grievous to those of my craft? And I
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Speaker 1: could I buy the bang, But I think I am
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Speaker 1: like to be done over altogether in this damned country
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Speaker 1: of yours. Good forgive me for swearing that evil communication
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Speaker 1: corrupteth good manners. Now Heaven guide us, said the U Dollar.
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Speaker 1: What is the matter with the man? Why? Man, if
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Speaker 1: you will put your plow into new land, you must
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Speaker 1: look to have it hank on a stone now, and
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Speaker 1: then you must set us an example of patients seeing
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Speaker 1: you come here for our improvement. And the devil was
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Speaker 1: in my feet when I did so, said the factor.
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Speaker 1: I had better have set myself to improve the cairn
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Speaker 1: on clocknaven. But what is it, after all, said the
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Speaker 1: U Dollar, that has befallen you? What is it that
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Speaker 1: you complain of? Of everything that has chanced to me
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Speaker 1: since I landed on this island, which I believe was
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Speaker 1: a cursed at the very creation, said the agriculturist, and
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Speaker 1: assigned as a fitting station for soreners, thieves, whores. I
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Speaker 1: beg the lady's pardon, which is bitches and all evil spirits,
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Speaker 1: by my faith A goodly catalog, said Magnus. And there
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Speaker 1: has been the day that if I had heard you
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Speaker 1: give out the half of it, I should have turned
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Speaker 1: improver myself and have tried to amend your manners with
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Speaker 1: a cudgel. There with me, said the factor. Masterfoud, or
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Speaker 1: Master u Dollar, or whatever else they may call you.
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Speaker 1: And as you are strong, be pitiful and consider the
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Speaker 1: luckless lot of any inexperienced person who lights upon this
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Speaker 1: earthly paradise of yours. He asks for drink, they bring
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Speaker 1: him sour way. No disparagement to your brandy Foud, which
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Speaker 1: is excellent. You ask for meat, and they bring you
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Speaker 1: sour silks that Satan might choke upon. You call your
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Speaker 1: laborers together and bid them work. It proves Saint Magnus's day,
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Speaker 1: or Saint Ronan's day, or some infernal saint or others,
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Speaker 1: or else. Perhaps they have come out of bed with
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Speaker 1: the wrong foot foremost, or they have seen an owl,
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Speaker 1: or a rabbit has crossed their path, or they have
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Speaker 1: dreamed of a roasted horse. In short, nothing is to
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Speaker 1: be done. Give them a spade, and they work as
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Speaker 1: if it burned their fingers. But set them to dancing,
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Speaker 1: and see when they will tire of funking and flinging,
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Speaker 1: And why should they, poor bodies, said Claude Holcrow, As
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Speaker 1: long as there are good fiddlers to play to them, ay,
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Speaker 1: I said Triptolemus, shaking his head. You are a proper
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Speaker 1: person to uphold them in such a humor. Well to proceed,
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Speaker 1: I till a piece of my best ground. Down comes
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Speaker 1: a sturdy beggar that wants a co lyard or a plant,
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Speaker 1: a crew of as you call it, And he claps
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Speaker 1: down an enclosure in the middle of my bit shot
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Speaker 1: of corn, as likely as if he was both laired
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Speaker 1: and tenant, and gains say him what likes there? He
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Speaker 1: dibbles in his kale plants. I sit down to my
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Speaker 1: sorrowful dinner, thinking to have peace and quietness there at
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Speaker 1: least when incomes one, two, three, four, or half a
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Speaker 1: dozen of scalping long lads from some foolery or another.
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Speaker 1: Miscome me for barring my own door against them, and
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Speaker 1: eat up the best half of what my sister's providence,
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Speaker 1: and she is not over bountiful has allotted for my dinner.
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Speaker 1: Then enters a witch with an elwand in her hand,
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Speaker 1: and she raises the wind or lays it whichever she likes,
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Speaker 1: majors up and down my house as if she was
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Speaker 1: mistress of it. And I am bounden to thank Heaven
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Speaker 1: if she carries not the broadside of it away with her. Still,
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Speaker 1: said the fowl, this is no answer to my question.
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Speaker 1: How the foul fiend I come to find you at moorings? Here?
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Speaker 1: Have patience, worthy, sir, replied the afflicted factor, and listen
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Speaker 1: to what I have to say, For I fancy it
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Speaker 1: will be as well to tell you the whole matter.
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Speaker 1: You must know. I once thought that I had gotten
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Speaker 1: a small godsend that might have made all these matters easier.
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Speaker 1: How a godsend do you mean? A wreck, master, Factor,
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Speaker 1: exclaimed Magnus. Shame upon you that should have set example
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Speaker 1: to others. It was no wreck, said the Factor, But
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Speaker 1: if you must needs know, it chanced that as I
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Speaker 1: raised an hearthstone in one of the old chambers at Staubourg,
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Speaker 1: for my sister is minded that there is little use
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Speaker 1: in more fireplaces about a house than one, and I
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Speaker 1: wanted the stone to knock bear upon. When what should
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Speaker 1: I light on but a hornful of old coins silver,
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Speaker 1: the most feck of them but with a bit sprinkling
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Speaker 1: of gold among them too. Well, I thought this was
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Speaker 1: a dainty windfall, and so thought Babby, and we were
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Speaker 1: the more willing to put up with a place where
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Speaker 1: there were sick and bra nest eggs. And we slaid
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Speaker 1: down the stone cannily over the horn, which seemed to
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Speaker 1: me to be the very cornucopia or horn of abundance.
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Speaker 1: And for further security, Babby would visit the room maybe
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Speaker 1: twenty times in the day, and myself at an aura
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Speaker 1: time to the boot of all that on my word,
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Speaker 1: and very pretty amusement, said Claude Holcrow, to look over
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Speaker 1: a horn of one's own siller, I question if Glorious
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Speaker 1: John Dryden ever enjoyed such a pastime in his life.
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Speaker 1: I am very sure I never did. Yes, But you
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Speaker 1: forget Jardo Cloud, said the ue Dollar that the factor
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Speaker 1: was only counting over the money for my Lord the Chamberlain,
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Speaker 1: as he is so keen for his lordship's rights in
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Speaker 1: Wales and wrecks, he would not surely forget him. In
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Speaker 1: treasure trove ahem ahem, ahem hem, ejaculated Triptolemus seized at
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Speaker 1: the moment with an awkward fit of coughing. No doubt
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Speaker 1: my lord's right in the matter would have been considered
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Speaker 1: being in the hand of one, though I say it
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Speaker 1: as just as can be found in Ingusshire, let alone
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Speaker 1: the merns. But mark what happened of late one day,
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Speaker 1: as I went up to see that all was safe
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Speaker 1: and snug, and just to count out the share that
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Speaker 1: should have been his lordships. For surely the laborer, as
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Speaker 1: one may call the finder, is worthy of his hire. Nay,
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Speaker 1: some learned men say that when the finder, in point
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Speaker 1: to trust and in point of power, representeth the dominus
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Speaker 1: or lord superior, he taketh the hole. But let that
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Speaker 1: pass as a kittle question in apicibus juris, as we
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Speaker 1: want to say. At Saint Andrew's well, Sir and ladies,
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Speaker 1: when I went to the upper chamber, what should I
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Speaker 1: see but an ugsome, ill shaped and most uncouth dwarf
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Speaker 1: that wanted but hoofs and horns to have made an
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Speaker 1: utter devil of him, Counting over the very hornful of Siller.
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Speaker 1: I am no timorous man, master fout by judging that
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Speaker 1: I should proceed with caution in such a matter, for
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Speaker 1: I had reason to believe that there was devilry in it.
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Speaker 1: I accosted him in Latin will it is most becoming
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Speaker 1: to speak to utt will taketh upon it as a goblin,
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Speaker 1: and conjured him in nominee, and so forth with such
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Speaker 1: words as my poor learning could furnish. Of a sudden
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Speaker 1: ty Wuilk to say, truth, were not so many, nor
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Speaker 1: altogether so purely Latin eased, as might have been had
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Speaker 1: I not been few years at college and many at
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Speaker 1: the plow well. Sirs. He started at first as one
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Speaker 1: that heareth that which he expects not, but presently recovering himself,
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Speaker 1: he walls on me with his gray eyeing like a
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Speaker 1: wild cat, and opens his mouth Wilk resembled the mouth
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Speaker 1: of an oven for the devil. A tongue he had
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Speaker 1: in it that I could spy, and took upon his
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Speaker 1: ugly self altogether the air and bearing of a bulldog.
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Speaker 1: Wilke I have seen loosed at affair upon a mad stag.
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Speaker 1: Whereupon I was something daunted, and withdrew myself to call
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Speaker 1: upon Sister Babby, who fears neither dog nor devil when
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Speaker 1: there is in question the little Penny Siller. And truly
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Speaker 1: she raised to the fray, as I have seen the
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Speaker 1: lindsays and Ogilvie's bristle up when Donald McDonough or the
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Speaker 1: like made a start down from the highlands on the
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Speaker 1: braves of Islay, but an old useless carline called Tronda
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Speaker 1: Drown's daughter, they might call her Drone. The cell of
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Speaker 1: her without farther edition, flung herself right in my sister's gate,
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Speaker 1: and yellocked and scirled that you would have thought her
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Speaker 1: a whole generation of hounds. Whereupon I judged it best
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Speaker 1: to make one yoking of it, and stop the plow
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Speaker 1: until I got my sister's assistance. Well. When I had done,
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Speaker 1: and we mounted the stair to the apartment in which
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Speaker 1: the said dwarf devil or other apparition was to be seen,
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Speaker 1: Dwarf Horn and Siller were as clean gone as if
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Speaker 1: the cat had licked the place where I saw them.
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Speaker 1: Here Tryptolemus paused in his extraordinary narration, while the rest
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Speaker 1: of the party looked upon each other in surprise, and
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Speaker 1: the u dollar muttered to Claude Holcrow. By all tokens,
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Speaker 1: this must have been either the Devil or Nicholas Strumpffer,
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Speaker 1: And if it were him, he is more of a
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Speaker 1: goblin than ever I gave him credit for, and shall
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Speaker 1: be apt to rate him as such in future. Then,
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Speaker 1: addressing the factor, he inquired, saw ye not how this
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Speaker 1: dwarf of yours parted company? As I shall answer it? No,
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Speaker 1: replied Tryptolemus, with a cautious look around him, as if
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Speaker 1: daunted by the recollection. Neither I nor Babby, who had
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Speaker 1: her wits more about her, not having seen this unseemly vision,
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Speaker 1: could perceive any way by wilk he made evasion. Only
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Speaker 1: Tronda said she saw him flee forth of the window
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Speaker 1: of the west roundel of the old house, upon a dragon,
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Speaker 1: as she avered. But as the dragon is held a
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Speaker 1: fabulous animal, I should pronounce her a veriment to rest
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Speaker 1: upon deceptio vices. But may we not ask farther, said Brenda,
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Speaker 1: stimulated by curiosity to know as much of her cousin
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Speaker 1: Norna's family as was possible, how all this operated upon
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Speaker 1: Master yellowly so as to occasion his being in this
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Speaker 1: place at so unseasonable an hour seasonable? It must be,
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Speaker 1: Mistress Brenda, since it brought us into your sweet company,
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Speaker 1: answered Claude Holcrow, whose mercurial brain far outstripped the slow
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Speaker 1: contions of the agriculturist, and who became impatient of being
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Speaker 1: so long silent to say the truth. It was I,
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Speaker 1: Mistress Brenda, who recommended to our friend the Factor, whose
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Speaker 1: house I chanced to call at just after this mischance,
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Speaker 1: and where by the way, owing doubtless to the hurry
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Speaker 1: of their spirits, I was but poorly received, to make
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Speaker 1: a visit to our other friend at fitful Head, while
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Speaker 1: judging from certain points of the story at which my
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Speaker 1: other and more particular friend than either looking at Magnus,
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Speaker 1: made chance to form a guess that they who break
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Speaker 1: ahead are the best to find a plaster. And as
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Speaker 1: our friend the Factor scrupled traveling on horseback in respect
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Speaker 1: of some tumbles from our ponies, which are incarnate devils,
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Speaker 1: said Triptolemus aloud, muttering under his breath, like every live
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Speaker 1: thing that I have found in Zetland well fowled, continued Halcrow.
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Speaker 1: I undertook to carry him to Fitful Head in my
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Speaker 1: little boat, which Giles and I can manage as if
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Speaker 1: it were an admiral's barge, full manned. And Master Triptolemus
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Speaker 1: yellowly will tell you how seaman like I piloted him
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Speaker 1: to the little haven, within a quarter of a mile
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Speaker 1: of Norna's dwelling. I wish to heaven you had brought
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Speaker 1: him as safe back again, said the factor. Why to
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Speaker 1: be sure, replied the minstrel. I am as glorious, John says,
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Speaker 1: a daring pilot in extremity, pleased with the danger. When
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Speaker 1: the waves go high, I seek the storm, but for
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Speaker 1: a calm unfit will steer too near the sands. To
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Speaker 1: show my wit. I showed little wit in intrusting myself
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Speaker 1: to your charge, said Triptolemus. And you still less when
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Speaker 1: you upset the boat at the throat of the vow,
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Speaker 1: as you call it. When even the poor bearn that
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Speaker 1: was more than half drowned told you that you were
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Speaker 1: carrying too much sail. And then ye would fasten the
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Speaker 1: rape to the bitstick on the boat side, that ye
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Speaker 1: might have time to play on the fiddle. What said
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Speaker 1: the u dollar, make fast the sheets to the thwart.
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Speaker 1: A most unseasonable practice, Claude Holcrow. And so came of it,
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Speaker 1: replied the agriculturist. For at the next blast, and we
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Speaker 1: are never long without one in these parts, whom led
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Speaker 1: us as a good wife would homely a bowie, and
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Speaker 1: never a thing would Master Halcrow save but his fiddle.
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Speaker 1: The poor baron swam out like a water spaniel, and
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Speaker 1: I swattered hard for my life with the help of
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Speaker 1: one of the oars. And here we are comfortless creatures
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Speaker 1: that till a good wind blew you here had nothing
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Speaker 1: to eat but a mouthful of Norway rusk that has
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Speaker 1: more sawdust than riemeal in it, and tastes likeer turpentine
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Speaker 1: than anything else. I thought, we heard you very merry,
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Speaker 1: said Brenda, as we came along the beach. Ye heard
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Speaker 1: of fiddle, Mistress, Brenda, said the factor. And maybe ye
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Speaker 1: may think there can be no dearth miss where that
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Speaker 1: is skurling. But then it was Master Claude Holcrow's fiddle wilk,
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Speaker 1: I am apt to think, would skurl at his father's
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Speaker 1: deathbed or at his own, so long as his fingers
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Speaker 1: could pinch the thermb and it was no small aggravation
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Speaker 1: to my misfortune to have him bumming all sorts of
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Speaker 1: rings nurse and Scot's Highland and Lowland, English and Italian
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Speaker 1: in my lug. As if nothing had happened, that was
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Speaker 1: a miss, And we all in such stress and perplexity.
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Speaker 1: Why I told you sorrow would never right the bow factor,
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Speaker 1: said the thoughtless minstrel. And I did my best to
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Speaker 1: make you marry. If I failed, it was neither my
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Speaker 1: fault nor my fiddles. I have drawn the bow across
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Speaker 1: it before Glorious John Dryden himself. I will hear no
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Speaker 1: stories about Glorious John Dryden, answered the U Dollar, who
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Speaker 1: dreaded Holcrow's narratives as much as Triptolemus did his music.
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Speaker 1: I will hear not of him but one story to
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Speaker 1: every three bowls of punch. It is our old packshion,
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Speaker 1: you know. But tell me instead what said Norna to
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Speaker 1: you about your Errand aye, there was another fine upshot,
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Speaker 1: said Master Yellowly. She wouldn't look at us or listened
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Speaker 1: to us. Only she bothered our acquaintance, Master Hulcrow here,
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Speaker 1: who thought he could have so much to say with her,
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Speaker 1: with about a score of questions about your family and
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Speaker 1: household estate, Master Magnus Troyle. And when she had gotten
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Speaker 1: all she wanted out of him, I thought she would
25:28
Speaker 1: have dung him over the craig like an empty peacod.
25:32
Speaker 1: And for yourself, said the U Dollar. She wouldn't have
25:36
Speaker 1: listened to my story, nor hear so much as a
25:39
Speaker 1: word that I had to say, answered Triptolemus. And so
25:44
Speaker 1: much for them that seek to witches and familiar spirits.
25:49
Speaker 1: You needed not to have had recourse to Norna's wisdom,
25:52
Speaker 1: Master Factor, said Minna, not unwilling, perhaps to stop his
25:57
Speaker 1: railing against the friend who had so lately rendered her service.
26:02
Speaker 1: The youngest child in Orkney could have told you that
26:07
Speaker 1: very treasures, if they are not wisely employed for the
26:11
Speaker 1: good of others as well as of those to whom
26:14
Speaker 1: they are imparted, do not dwell long with their possessors,
26:19
Speaker 1: Your humble servant to command Mistress Many, said Triptolemus. I
26:24
Speaker 1: thank THEE for the hint, and I am blithe that
26:27
Speaker 1: you have gotten your wits. I beg pardon. I meant
26:31
Speaker 1: your health into the barnyard again for the treasure I
26:36
Speaker 1: neither used nor abused it. They that live in the
26:40
Speaker 1: house with my sister Babby would find it hard to
26:43
Speaker 1: do either. And as for speaking of it wilk, they say,
26:48
Speaker 1: muckel offends them. Whom we in Scotland call good neighbors,
26:53
Speaker 1: and you call draws the face of the old Norse
26:57
Speaker 1: kings on the coins themselves might have spoken as much
27:01
Speaker 1: about it as ever I did. The Factor, said Claude Holcrow,
27:06
Speaker 1: not unwilling to seize the opportunity of revenging himself on
27:11
Speaker 1: Triptolemus for disgracing his seamanship and disparaging his music. The
27:17
Speaker 1: Factor was so scrupulous as to keep the thing quiet,
27:21
Speaker 1: even from his master, the Lord Chamberlain. But now that
27:26
Speaker 1: the matter has taken wind, he is likely to have
27:29
Speaker 1: to account to his master for that which is no
27:32
Speaker 1: longer in his possession. For the Lord Chamberlain will be
27:37
Speaker 1: in no hurry I think to believe the story of
27:41
Speaker 1: the dwarf. Neither do I think, winking to the you dollar,
27:46
Speaker 1: that Norna gave credit to a word of so odd
27:49
Speaker 1: a story, and I dare say that was the reason
27:53
Speaker 1: that she received us, I must needs say, in a
27:57
Speaker 1: very dry manner. I rather think she knew that Triptolemus,
28:02
Speaker 1: our friend here, had found some other hiding hole for
28:06
Speaker 1: the money, and that the story of the Goblin was
28:09
Speaker 1: all his own invention. For my part, I will never
28:14
Speaker 1: believe there was such a dwarf to be seen as
28:17
Speaker 1: the creature Master yellowly describes, until I set my own
28:22
Speaker 1: eyes on him, then you may do so at this moment,
28:27
Speaker 1: said the Factor. For bye, he muttered a deep as severation,
28:32
Speaker 1: as he sprung on his feet in great horror. There
28:36
Speaker 1: the creature is all turned their eyes in the direction
28:40
Speaker 1: in which he pointed, and saw the hideous misshape and
28:44
Speaker 1: figure of Pacolette with his eyes fixed and glaring at
28:49
Speaker 1: them through the smoke. He had stolen upon their conversation,
28:54
Speaker 1: unperceived until the Factor's eye lighted upon him in the
28:58
Speaker 1: manner we have described. There was something so ghastly in
29:03
Speaker 1: his sudden and unexpected appearance that even the U Dollar,
29:08
Speaker 1: to whom his form was familiar, could not help starting
29:13
Speaker 1: neither pleased with himself for having testified this degree of emotion,
29:18
Speaker 1: however slight, nor with the dwarf who had given cause
29:22
Speaker 1: to it. Madness asked him sharply, what was his business there?
29:27
Speaker 1: Pacilet replied by producing a letter, which he gave to
29:31
Speaker 1: the U Dollar, uttering a sound resembling the word show
29:36
Speaker 1: that is the highland man's language, said the U Dollar.
29:40
Speaker 1: Didst thou learn that, Nicholas, when you lost your own?
29:45
Speaker 1: Pacilet nodded and signed to him to read his letter,
29:49
Speaker 1: That is, no such easy matter by firelight, my good friend,
29:53
Speaker 1: replied the U dollar. But it may concern Minna, and
29:57
Speaker 1: we must try. Brenda offered her assistance that the U
30:02
Speaker 1: Dollar answered no, no, my girl. Norna's letters must be
30:07
Speaker 1: read by those they are written. To give the knave
30:10
Speaker 1: Strumpfer a drop of brandy the while, though he little
30:14
Speaker 1: deserves it at my hands, considering the grin with which
30:18
Speaker 1: he sent the good nance down the crag this morning,
30:22
Speaker 1: as if it had been as much ditch water, Will
30:26
Speaker 1: you be this honest gentleman's cupbearer, his gany mead friend
30:31
Speaker 1: yellowly or shall I? Said Claude Holcrow aside to the Factor,
30:36
Speaker 1: while Magnus Troyle, having carefully wiped his spectacles, which he
30:40
Speaker 1: produced from a large copper case, had disposed them on
30:45
Speaker 1: his nose, and was studying the epistle of Norna. I
30:50
Speaker 1: would not touch him or go near him, for all
30:53
Speaker 1: the cars of Gowrie, said the Factor, whose fears were
30:57
Speaker 1: by no means entirely removed, though he saw that the
31:02
Speaker 1: dwarf was received as a creature of flesh and blood
31:05
Speaker 1: by the rest of the company. But I pray you
31:09
Speaker 1: to ask him what he has done with my horn
31:12
Speaker 1: of coins. The dwarf, who heard the question threw back
31:16
Speaker 1: his head and displayed his enormous throat, pointing to it
31:21
Speaker 1: with his finger. Nay, if he has swallowed them, there
31:25
Speaker 1: is no more to be said, replied the factor. Only
31:29
Speaker 1: I hope he will thrive on them as a cow
31:32
Speaker 1: on wet clover. He is Dame Norna's servant. It's like
31:37
Speaker 1: such man, such mistress. But if theft and witchcraft are
31:42
Speaker 1: to go unpunished in this land, my lord must find
31:47
Speaker 1: another factor. For I have been used to live in
31:50
Speaker 1: a country where men's worldly gear was keep it from
31:54
Speaker 1: infame and out fane thief, as well as their immortal
31:59
Speaker 1: soul from the claws of the devil and his comers,
32:03
Speaker 1: saying and save us. The agriculturist was perhaps the less
32:09
Speaker 1: reserved in expressing his complaints that the U dollar was
32:13
Speaker 1: for the present out of hearing. Having drawn Claude Holcrow
32:17
Speaker 1: apart into another corner of the hut, and tell me,
32:22
Speaker 1: said he friend, Holcrow, what errand took thee to Sumburg,
32:27
Speaker 1: Since I reckon it was scarce the mere pleasure of
32:31
Speaker 1: sailing in partnership with Yonder Barnacle in faith foud, said
32:37
Speaker 1: the bard, And if you will have the truth. I
32:40
Speaker 1: went to speak to Norna on your affairs, on my affairs,
32:45
Speaker 1: replied the U Dollar, on what affairs of mine? Just
32:49
Speaker 1: touching your daughter's health. I heard that Norna refused your
32:53
Speaker 1: message and would not see Eric Scambaster now said I
32:58
Speaker 1: to myself, I have scarce joyed in meat or drink,
33:02
Speaker 1: or music or aught else since Jarto Menna has been
33:07
Speaker 1: so ill. And I may say literally as well as figuratively,
33:12
Speaker 1: that my day and night have been made sorrowful to me.
33:17
Speaker 1: In short, I thought I might have some more interest
33:21
Speaker 1: with old Norna than another, as skulls and wise women
33:25
Speaker 1: were always accounted something akin, and I undertook the journey
33:30
Speaker 1: with the hope to be of some use to my
33:33
Speaker 1: old friend and his lovely daughter. And it was most
33:38
Speaker 1: kindly done of you, good warm hearted clod, said the
33:42
Speaker 1: U Dollar, shaking him warmly by the hand. I ever said,
33:46
Speaker 1: you showed the good old Norse heart amongst all thy
33:51
Speaker 1: fiddling and thy folly. Tut man. Never WinCE for the matter,
33:56
Speaker 1: but be blithe that thy heart is better than and
34:00
Speaker 1: I had well, and I warrant you got no answer
34:04
Speaker 1: from Norna, none to purpose, replied Claude Holcrow. But she
34:10
Speaker 1: held me clothes to question about Minna's illness too, And
34:14
Speaker 1: I told her how I had met her abroad the
34:17
Speaker 1: other morning in no very good weather, and how her
34:21
Speaker 1: sister Brenda said she had hurt her foot. In short,
34:25
Speaker 1: I told her all and everything I knew, and something
34:30
Speaker 1: more besides, it would seem, said the Eu Dollar, For
34:34
Speaker 1: I at least never heard before that Minna had hurt herself.
34:39
Speaker 1: Oh a scratch, A mere scratch, said the old man.
34:43
Speaker 1: But I was startled about it, terrified lest it had
34:47
Speaker 1: been the bite of a dog or some hurt from
34:51
Speaker 1: a venomous thing. I told all to Norna, however, and
34:55
Speaker 1: what answered the you dollar did she say? In the
34:59
Speaker 1: way of reply. She made me begone about my business,
35:03
Speaker 1: and told me that the issue would be known at
35:07
Speaker 1: the Kirkwall Fair, and said just the like to this
35:11
Speaker 1: noodle of a factor. It was all that either of
35:14
Speaker 1: us got for our labor, said Holcrow. That is strange,
35:19
Speaker 1: said Magnus. My kinswoman writes me in this letter not
35:24
Speaker 1: to fail going thither with my daughters. This fare runs
35:28
Speaker 1: strongly in her head. One would think she intended to
35:32
Speaker 1: lead the market, and yet she has nothing to buy
35:36
Speaker 1: or to sell there that I know of. And so
35:40
Speaker 1: you came away as wise as you went, and swamped
35:44
Speaker 1: your boat at the mouth of the vow. Why how
35:48
Speaker 1: could I help it, said the poet. I had set
35:51
Speaker 1: the boy to steer, and as the flaw came suddenly offshore,
35:56
Speaker 1: I could not let go the tag and play on
35:59
Speaker 1: the fare at the same time. But it is all
36:03
Speaker 1: well enough. Salt water never harmed Zetlander, so as he
36:07
Speaker 1: could get out of it, And as Heaven would have it,
36:11
Speaker 1: we were within man's depth of the shore and chancing
36:15
Speaker 1: to find this skio. We should have done well enough
36:19
Speaker 1: with shelter and fire, and are much better than well
36:23
Speaker 1: with your good cheer and good company. But it wears late,
36:28
Speaker 1: and night and day must be both as sleepy as
36:32
Speaker 1: old midnight can make them. There is an inner crib
36:36
Speaker 1: here where the fissure slept, somewhat fragrant with the smell
36:40
Speaker 1: of their fish. But that is wholesome. They shall bestow
36:45
Speaker 1: themselves there, with the help of what cloaks you have,
36:49
Speaker 1: And then we will have one cup of brandy and
36:52
Speaker 1: one stave of Glorious John, or some little trifle of
36:57
Speaker 1: my own, and so sleep as sound as cobblers. Two
37:01
Speaker 1: glasses of brandy, if you please, said the U Dollar,
37:05
Speaker 1: if our stores do not run dry, But not a
37:09
Speaker 1: single stave of Glorious John or of any one else tonight.
37:14
Speaker 1: And this being arranged and executed agreeably to the peremptory
37:19
Speaker 1: pleasure of the U Dollar, the whole party consigned themselves
37:23
Speaker 1: to slumber for the night, and on the next day
37:27
Speaker 1: departed for their several habitations. Claude Holcrow, having previously arranged
37:33
Speaker 1: with the U Dollar that he would accompany him and
37:37
Speaker 1: his daughters on their proposed visit to Kirkwall end of
37:42
Speaker 1: chapter ten