She had too often to suffer from her father's rudeness not to enjoy its bringing him into a scrape.

But the laird was sharper than she thought him, and seeing both the old man's condition and his mistake, humoured the joke.

His mother rose, trembling with indignation.

He gave her his arm, and conducted her to a stair which ascended immediately from the kitchen, whispering to her on the way, that the man was the worse of drink, and he must not quarrel with him.

She retired without leave-taking.