“Well, horse and away!” said the patron, “so soon as you have got your riding livery in trim.  You may ride the black crop-ear; and, hark ye, I’ll make you a present of him to boot.”

“I drink to the good luck of my mission,” answered the ambassador, “in a half-pint bumper.”

“I thank ye, Craigie, and pledge you; I see nothing against it but the father or the girl taking a tantrum, and I am told the mother can wind them both round her little finger.  Take care not to affront her with any of your Jacobite jargon.”

“Oh, ay, true—­she is a Whig, and a friend of old Sall of Marlborough; thank my stars, I can hoist any colours at a pinch!  I have fought as hard under John Churchill as ever I did under Dundee or the Duke of Berwick.”

“I verily believe you, Craigie,” said the lord of the mansion; “but, Craigie, do you, pray, step down to the cellar, and fetch us up a bottle of the Burgundy, 1678; it is in the fourth bin from the right-hand turn.  And I say, Craigie, you may fetch up half a dozen whilst you are about it.  Egad, we’ll make a night on’t!”

CHAPTER XXII.

     And soon they spied the merry-men green,
     And eke the coach and four.

     Duke upon Duke.

Craigengelt set forth on his mission so soon as his equipage was complete, prosecuted his journey with all diligence, and accomplished his commission with all the dexterity for which bucklaw had given him credit.  As he arrived with credentials from Mr. Hayston of Bucklaw, he was extremely welcome to both ladies; and those who are prejudiced in favour of a new acquaintance can, for a time at least, discover excellencies in his very faults and perfections in his deficiencies.  Although both ladies were accustomed to good society, yet, being pre-determined to find out an agreeable and well-behaved gentleman in Mr. Hayston’s friend, they succeeded wonderfully in imposing on themselves.  It is true that Craigengelt was now handsomely dressed, and that was a point of no small consequence.  But, independent of outward show, his blackguard impudence of address was construed into honourable bluntness becoming his supposed military profession; his hectoring passed for courage, and his sauciness for wit.  Lest, however, any one should think this a violation of probability, we must add, in fairness to the two ladies, that their discernment was greatly blinded, and their favour propitiated, by the opportune arrival of Captain Craigengelt in the moment when they were longing for a third hand to make a party at tredrille, in which, as in all games, whether of chance or skill, that worthy person was a great proficient.