Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

128 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
She gave him a characteristic word, half-satirical, as
was her way, not outwardly moved, with a shake of
her head and a doubt. He was always sanguine ; but
she had no bees in her bonnet. Sometimes he called
her a wet blanket when she thus damped his ardour,
—but not, I think, that night.
And next day all Edinburgh was ringing with the
wild, witty, flagrant attack upon all the notabilities.
And the authors were the only men who did not
venture to laugh too much over this joke which con-
vulsed their world.