Still there was a spirit of mutual accommodation upon the whole, and they dragged on like dogs in couples, with some difficulty and occasional snarling, but without absolutely coming to a stand-still or throttling each other.
Some little disagreement, such as we have mentioned, arising out of business, or politics, had divided the houses of Knockwinnock and Monkbarns, when the emissary of the latter arrived to discharge his errand.

In his ancient Gothic parlour, whose windows on one side looked out upon the restless ocean, and, on the other, upon the long straight avenue, was the Baronet seated, now turning over the leaves of a folio, now casting a weary glance where the sun quivered on the dark-green foliage and smooth trunks of the large and branching limes with which the avenue was planted.

At length, sight of joy! a moving object is seen, and it gives rise to the usual inquiries, Who is it?
and what can be his errand?
The old whitish-grey coat, the hobbling gait, the hat half-slouched, half-cocked, announced the forlorn maker of periwigs, and left for investigation only the second query.

This was soon solved by a servant entering the parlour,--"A letter from Monkbarns, Sir Arthur." Sir Arthur took the epistle with a due assumption of consequential dignity.
"Take the old man into the kitchen, and let him get some refreshment," said the young lady, whose compassionate eye had remarked his thin grey hair and wearied gait.
"Mr.Oldbuck, my love, invites us to dinner on Tuesday the 17th," said the Baronet, pausing;--"he really seems to forget that he has not of late conducted himself so civilly towards me as might have been expected." "Dear sir, you have so many advantages over poor Mr.Oldbuck, that no wonder it should put him a little out of humour; but I know he has much respect for your person and your conversation;--nothing would give him more pain than to be wanting in any real attention." "True, true, Isabella; and one must allow for the original descent;--something of the German boorishness still flows in the blood; something of the whiggish and perverse opposition to established rank and privilege.

You may observe that he never has any advantage of me in dispute, unless when he avails himself of a sort of pettifogging intimacy with dates, names, and trifling matters of fact--a tiresome and frivolous accuracy of memory, which is entirely owing to his mechanical descent." "He must find it convenient in historical investigation, I should think, sir ?" said the young lady.
"It leads to an uncivil and positive mode of disputing; and nothing seems more unreasonable than to hear him impugn even Bellenden's rare translation of Hector Boece, which I have the satisfaction to possess, and which is a black-letter folio of great value, upon the authority of some old scrap of parchment which he has saved from its deserved destiny of being cut up into tailor's measures.