At length he recovered himself somewhat.
"The loyal propensities of my family are well known to all men," he said.
"And its determination to profit by them," I retorted coldly, and plumped
me down at his side.
Right opposite me was the rector, a gross, sack-faced, ignorant
jolt-head, jowled like a pig and dew-lapped like an ox. Nature had meant
him for a butcher, but, being a by-blow of a great house, a discerning
patron had diverted him bishopward. In a voice husky with feeling and
wine, he said, "Surely it is the part of a gracious king to reward such
faithful service as that of the noble Earl of Ridgeley and my Lord
Brocton."
"Decidedly, your reverence," I answered briskly, "and of others too, and
if, as seems likely, the Highlanders have left a vacant deanery or two
behind them, I hope your loyal services and pastoral life will be suitably
rewarded with one."
Here Jack drew up another chair and I moved to make more room, so that he
could sit next to Brocton, to whom he was soon detailing in eager whispers
the result of his visit to the town hall. The others took up the broken
links of talk, and this gave me an opportunity of inspecting the company.
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