He could feign nae mair,
but, gnashing on Robin wi' his teeth, he dartit into the air like a
fiery dragon, an' keust a reid rainbow o'er the taps o' the
Lowmonds.
"'A' the auld wives an weavers o' Auchtermuchty fell down flat
wi' affright, an' betook them to their prayers aince again, for they
saw the dreadfu' danger they had escapit, an' frae that day to this
it is a hard matter to gar an Auchtermuchty man listen to a
sermon at a', an' a harder ane still to gar him applaud ane, for he
thinks aye that he sees the cloven foot peeping out frae aneath
ilka sentence.
"'Now, this is a true story, my man,' quo the auld wife, 'an',
whenever you are doubtfu' of a man, take auld Robin Ruthven's
plan, an' look for the cloven foot, for it's a thing that winna weel
hide; an' it appears whiles where ane wadna think o't. It will keek
out frae aneath the parson's gown, the lawyer's wig, and the
Cameronian's blue bannet; but still there is a gouden rule
whereby to detect it, an' that never, never fails.' The auld witch
didna gie me the rule, an' though I hae heard tell o't often an'
often, shame fa' me an I ken what it is! But ye will ken it well, an'
it wad be nae the waur of a trial on some o' your friends, maybe;
for they say there's a certain gentleman seen walking wi' you
whiles, that, wherever he sets his foot, the grass withers as gin it
war scoudered wi' a het ern.
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