Surprised and offended, but
not appalled by the reception which he experienced, Robin entered with
an undaunted, and even a haughty air, attempted no greeting as he saw
he was received with none, and placed himself by the side of the fire,
a little apart from a table, at which Harry Wakefield, the bailiff,
and two or three other persons, were seated. The ample Cumbrian
kitchen would have afforded plenty of room even for a larger
separation.
Robin, thus seated, proceeded to light his pipe, and call for a pint
of twopenny.
"We have no twopenny ale," answered Ralph Heskett, the landlord; but
as thou find'st thy own tobacco, its like thou may'st find thine own
liquor too--it's the wont of thy country, I wot."
"Shame, goodman," said the landlady, a blithe, bustling housewife,
hastening herself to suply the guest with liquor--"Thou knowest well
enow what the strange man wants, and it's thy trade to be a civil man.
Thou shouldest know, that if the Scot likes a small pot, he pays a
sure penny."
Without taking any notice of this nuptial dialogue, the Highlander
took the flagon in his hand, and, addressing the company generally,
drank the interesting toast of "Good markets," to the party assembled.
"The better that the wind blew fewer dealers from the north," said one
of the farmers, and fewer Highland runts to eat up the English
meadows.
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