table at his wife: "I think these broth would be better to sweem in than

to sup." Or else to the butler: "Here, M'Killop, awa' wi' this Raadical

gigot - tak' it to the French, man, and bring me some puddocks! It

seems rather a sore kind of a business that I should be all day in Court

haanging Raadicals, and get nawthing to my denner." Of course this was

but a manner of speaking, and he had never hanged a man for being a

Radical in his life; the law, of which he was the faithful minister,

directing otherwise. And of course these growls were in the nature of

pleasantry, but it was of a recondite sort; and uttered as they were in

his resounding voice, and commented on by that expression which they

called in the Parliament House "Hermiston's hanging face" - they struck

mere dismay into the wife. She sat before him speechless and

fluttering; at each dish, as at a fresh ordeal, her eye hovered toward

my lord's countenance and fell again; if he but ate in silence,

unspeakable relief was her portion; if there were complaint, the world

was darkened. She would seek out the cook, who was always her SISTER IN

THE LORD. "O, my dear, this is the most dreidful thing that my lord can

never be contented in his own house!" she would begin; and weep and pray

with the cook; and then the cook would pray with Mrs. Weir; and the next

day's meal would never be a penny the better - and the next cook (when

she came) would be worse, if anything, but just as pious. It was often

wondered that Lord Hermiston bore it as he did; indeed, he was a stoical

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