After a very complimentary reception, he put on his white gloves to hand her down stairs, led her up to the upper end of the table, bowed, and retired to his own place.

This I am assured was the usual custom with the chief lady guest by persons who themselves remember it.

After all were seated, the Marquis addressed the lady, "Madam, may I have the honour and happiness of helping your ladyship to some fish ?" But he got no answer, for the poor woman was deaf as a post, and did not hear him.

After a pause, but still in the most courteous accents, "Madam, have I your ladyship's permission to send you some fish ?" Then a little quicker, "Is your Ladyship inclined to take fish ?" Very quick, and rather peremptory, "Madam, do ye choice fish ?" At last the thunder burst, to everybody's consternation, with a loud thump on the table and stamp on the floor: "Con--found ye, will ye have any fish ?" I am afraid the exclamation might have been even of a more pungent character.
A correspondent has kindly enabled me to add a reminiscence and anecdote of a type of Scottish character now nearly extinct .-- I mean the old Scottish _military_ officer of the wars of Holland and the Low Countries.

I give them in his own words:--"My father, the late Rev.Dr.
Bethune, minister of Dornoch, was on friendly terms with a fine old soldier, the late Colonel Alexander Sutherland of Calmaly and Braegrudy, in Sutherlandshire, who was lieutenant-colonel of the 'Local Militia,' and who used occasionally, in his word of command, to break out with a Gaelic phrase to the men, much to the amusement of bystanders.