'We will examine the servants, Stephen; that is but reasonable.' But lackey and lass, and page and groom, all denied stoutly that they had ever seen such a bag of money as my gudesire described.

What was waur, he had unluckily not mentioned to any living soul of them his purpose of paying his rent.

Ae quean had noticed something under his arm, but she took it for the pipes.
Sir John Redgauntlet ordered the servants out of the room, and then said to my gudesire, 'Now, Steenie, ye see ye have fair play; and, as I have little doubt ye ken better where to find the siller than ony other body, I beg, in fair terms, and for your own sake, that you will end this fasherie; for, Stephen, ye maun pay or flit.' 'The Lord forgie your opinion,' said Stephen, driven almost to his wit's end--'I am an honest man.' 'So am I, Stephen,' said his honour; 'and so are all the folks in the house, I hope.

But if there be a knave amongst us, it must be he that tells the story he cannot prove.' He paused, and then added, mair sternly, 'If I understand your trick, sir, you want to take advantage of some malicious reports concerning things in this family, and particularly respecting my father's sudden death, thereby to cheat me out of the money, and perhaps take away my character, by insinuating that I have received the rent I am demanding.

Where do you suppose this money to be?
I insist upon knowing.' My gudesire saw everything look so muckle against him, that he grew nearly desperate--however, he shifted from one foot to another, looked to every corner of the room, and made no answer.
'Speak out, sirrah,' said the laird, assuming a look of his father's, a very particular ane, which he had when he was angry--it seemed as if the wrinkles of his frown made that selfsame fearful shape of a horse's shoe in the middle of his brow;--'Speak out, sir! I WILL know your thoughts;--do you suppose that I have this money ?' 'Far be it frae me to say so,' said Stephen.
'Do you charge any of my people with having taken it ?' 'I wad be laith to charge them that may be innocent,' said my gudesire; 'and if there be any one that is guilty, I have nae proof.' 'Somewhere the money must be, if there is a word of truth in your story,' said Sir John; 'I ask where you think it is--and demand a correct answer ?' 'In HELL, if you will have my thoughts of it,' said my gudesire, driven to extremity, 'in hell! with your father, his jackanape, and his silver whistle.' Down the stairs he ran (for the parlour was nae place for him after such a word) and he heard the laird swearing blood and wounds behind him, as fast; as ever did Sir Robert, and roaring for the bailie and the baron-officer.
Away rode my gudesire to his chief creditor (him they ca'd Laurie Lapraik) to try if he could make onything out of him; but when he tauld his story, he got but the worst word in his wame--thief, beggar, and dyvour, were the saftest terms; and to the boot of these hard terms, Laurie brought up the auld story of his dipping his hand in the blood of God's saunts, just as if a tenant could have helped riding with the laird, and that a laird like Sir Robert Redgauntlet.