They're no sae weel in the warld as they have been; but we're a' subject to ups and downs in this life, as your honour must needs ken,--but is not the tobacco-reek disagreeable to your honour ?' 'By no means, ma'am; I am an old campaigner, and perfectly used to it.
Will you permit me to make some inquiries about a family in this neighbourhood ?' The sound of wheels was now heard, and the landlady hurried to the door to receive her expected guests; but returned in an instant, followed by the postilion.

'No, they canna come at no rate, the Laird's sae ill.' 'But God help them,' said the landlady, 'the morn's the term, the very last day they can bide in the house; a' thing's to be roupit.' 'Weel, but they can come at no rate, I tell ye; Mr.Bertram canna be moved.' 'What Mr.Bertram ?' said the stranger; 'not Mr.Bertram of Ellangowan, I hope ?' 'Just e'en that same, sir; and if ye be a friend o' his, ye have come at a time when he's sair bested.' 'I have been abroad for many years,--is his health so much deranged ?' 'Ay, and his affairs an' a',' said the Deacon; 'the creditors have entered into possession o' the estate, and it's for sale; and some that made the maist by him--I name nae names, but Mrs.Mac-Candlish kens wha I mean (the landlady shook her head significantly)--they're sairest on him e'en now.

I have a sma' matter due myself, but I would rather have lost it than gane to turn the auld man out of his house, and him just dying.' 'Ay, but,' said the parish clerk, 'Factor Glossin wants to get rid of the auld Laird, and drive on the sale, for fear the heir-male should cast up upon them; for I have heard say, if there was an heir-male they couldna sell the estate for auld Ellangowan's debt.' 'He had a son born a good many years ago,' said the stranger; 'he is dead, I suppose ?' 'Nae man can say for that,' answered the clerk mysteriously.
'Dead!' said the Deacon, 'I'se warrant him dead lang syne; he hasna been heard o' these twenty years or thereby.' 'I wot weel it's no twenty years,' said the landlady; 'it's no abune seventeen at the outside in this very month.

It made an unco noise ower a' this country; the bairn disappeared the very day that Supervisor Kennedy cam by his end.

If ye kenn'd this country lang syne, your honour wad maybe ken Frank Kennedy the Supervisor.