Part 2 (2/2)
”So you're a second son, eh?” he pondered ”Man, ye have my sympathy
I had the saot the pipes and I' the second son o' a Laird or a Duke”
”Well, my friend,” said I; ”that's just where our opinions differ
Now, I'd sooner be the second son of a rag-and-bone man; a--Perthshi+re piper of the name of Robertson; ay! of the devil himself,--than the second son of an Earl”
”Do ye tell me that now!” he put in, with a cock of his towsled head, picking up another piece of rabbit
”You see,--you and these other fellows can do as you like; go where you like when you like An Earl's second son has to serve his House He has to pave the way and s sht that shi+nes on his elder brother He is tolerated, sometimes spoiled and petted, because,--well, because he has an elder brother who, so in the world's affairs
”Be thankful, sir, you are only the second son of a highland piper”
The tramp reflected for a while
”Ay, ay!” he philosophised at last, ”no doot,--maybe,--just that I can see you have your ain troubles and I'm thinkin', ; we aye think the other oin' It's the way o' the world”
He was quiet a while He negotiated the rabbit's head and I watched him with interest as he extracted every bit of meat from the maze of bone
”And you would be the Earl when your father dies, if it wasna for your brother?” he added
”Yes!” I answered
”Man, it must be a dreadful temptation”
”Whatin his whisky; to keep fro him ower theor droppin' a flower pot on his heid, us Robertson would never have lived to blow the pipes As it was, it was touch and go wi'
Angus;--for they were the bonny pipes,--the grand, bonny pipes”
”Do you mean to tell , screeching bagpipes?” I asked in horror
”Och! hardly that, man Murder is no' a bonny name for it I would just kind o' quietly have done ai' him It's ood, is Angus; he's a through-other customer: no' steady and law-abidin' like mysel'”
”Well, my friend,” I said finally----
”Donald! that's my name”
”Well, Donald, I must be on my way”
”What's a' the hurry, ive me your hand on it You've a fine face The face o' a ive me a drop o' it”
”That I would, Donald”
”It's a pity But ye don't happen to have the price o' the dram on ye?”
”Maybe I have, Donald”