The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

460 The Highland MontJUy.
which he had always regarded with something like awe,
it appeared so stately on the dusty book shelves. Having
meagre qualifications in that line himself, the presence of
books in the hands of other people had an oddly restraining
effect on him. John had something on his mind. In other
circumstances he would have taken advantageof his domestic
familiarity, as an old servant, and broached his thoughts,
but that pretentious book effectually sealed up his lips.
He laid the table with characteristic care and method ; as
a matter of fact, he prolonged the opeiation to a prodigious
length, in the hope of hearing that book close with David's
customary bang, and thus have a conversational avenue
opened up to him. John possessed a great deal of patience,
and no little ingenuity in its exercise, when he had something
to say which he considered should be said. He
adjusted the knives and forks over and over again, until the
ablest geometrician would have been at a lost to find fault
with the exactitude of their relative positions ; then he
re-commenced with the spoons, which he placed upside and
then down, at an angle and without it ; he discovered at
least three times that the salt-sellars were in their wrong
places, and replaced them with a vigour that made the big
oaken table ring ; and he was on the point of respreading
the table-cloth, which would have necessitated the whole of
these labours being gone over again, when a sound from
the recess of the window stayed his hand. It was David
emitting a yawn, which he did so noisily that John thought
he had adequate excuse to let the table-cover alone and
contemplate the effect.
" Do you know Pope's couplet, John ?" asked David, clos-
ing the book, not having noted the manoeuvres that had
been going on at the table
—
" And heard thy everlasting yawn
The pains and penalties of idleness confess."
" No," was John's ready reply ;
Scotch sayin' that ' gantin's wantin' ' ".
" but I ken the auld