Always respect old age, Mr Forbes.

You'll be old yourself some day--and you won't like it any more than I do.

I've had my young days, though, and I mustn't grumble." And here he smiled; but it was a sad smile, and a tear gathered in the corner of one of his old eyes.

He caught up a globular silver tea-pot, and began to fill the tea-cups.

Apparently the reflection of his own face in the tea-pot was too comical to resist, for the old man presently broke into what was half a laugh and half a grin, and, without in any way accounting for it, went on talking quite merrily for the rest of the meal.
"My mother told me," said Alec at length, "in a letter I had from her yesterday, that your brother, sir, had married a cousin of hers." "What! what! Are you a son of Mr Forbes of Howglen ?" "Yes, sir." "You young rascal! Why didn't your mother send you to me ?" "She didn't like to trouble you, I suppose, sir." "People like me, that haven't any relations, must make the most of the relations they have.