I think young St.Ronan's must be mad, to have established such a Vanity-fair upon his father's old property." "Do you ken this St.Ronan's that now is ?" enquired the dame.
"By report only," said Mr.Touchwood; "but I have heard of the family, and I think I have read of them, too, in Scottish history.

I am sorry to understand they are lower in the world than they have been.

This young man does not seem to take the best way to mend matters, spending his time among gamblers and black-legs." "I should be sorry if it were so," said honest Meg Dods, whose hereditary respect for the family always kept her from joining in any scandal affecting the character of the young Laird--"My forbears, sir, have had kindness frae his; and although maybe he may have forgotten all about it, it wad ill become me to say ony thing of him that should not be said of his father's son." Mr.Bindloose had not the same motive for forbearance; he declaimed against Mowbray as a thoughtless dissipater of his own fortune, and that of others.

"I have some reason to speak," he said, "having two of his notes for L.100 each, which I discounted out of mere kindness and respect for his ancient family, and which he thinks nae mair of retiring, than he does of paying the national debt--And here has he been raking every shop in Marchthorn, to fit out an entertainment for all the fine folk at the Well yonder; and tradesfolk are obliged to take his acceptances for their furnishings.

But they may cash his bills that will; I ken ane that will never advance a bawbee on ony paper that has John Mowbray either on the back or front of it.