"Claret," said Wallis, in a tone that seemed to imply no one could
drink too much of that.
"No, not claret only. I've seen the whisky follow the claret."
"Well, he don't now--not whisky at least. He don't drink too
much--not much too much--not more than a gentleman should. He
don't look like it--does he now? A good wife, such as my Lady
Lossie will make him, will soon set him all right. I think of taking
a similar protection myself, one of these days."
"He is not worthy of her," said Malcolm.
"Well, I confess his family won't compare with hers. There's a
grandfather in it somewhere that was a banker or a brewer or a soap
boiler, or something of the sort, and she and her people have been
earls and marquises ever since they walked arm in arm out of the
ark. But, bless you! all that's been changed since I came to town.
So long as there's plenty of money and the mind to spend it, we have
learned not to be exclusive. It's selfish that. It's not Christian.
Everything lies in the mind to spend it though. Mrs Tredger--
that's our lady's maid--only this is a secret--says it's all
settled--she knows it for certain fact--only there's nothing
to be said about it yet--she's so young, you know."
"Who was the man that sat nearly opposite my lady, on the other
side of the table?" asked Malcolm.
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