Ye archewyves， standith at defence， Sin ye been strong， as is a great camayle；Ne suffer not that men you don offence.
And slender wives， fell as in battaile， Beth eager， as is a tiger， yond in Inde；Aye clappith as a mill， I you counsaile.
CHAUCER.--The Clerk's Tale.
The length and frequency of Hugh's absences， careless as she was of his presence， had already attracted the attention of Mrs. Glasford；and very little trouble had to be expended on the discovery of his haunt. For the servants knew well enough where he went， and of course had come to their own conclusions as to the object of his visits. So the lady chose to think it her duty to expostulate with Hugh on the subject. Accordingly， one morning after breakfast， the laird having gone to mount his horse， and the boys to have a few minutes' play before lessons， Mrs. Glasford， who had kept her seat at the head of the table， waiting for the opportunity， turned towards Hugh who sat reading the week's news， folded her hands on the tablecloth， drew herself up yet a little more stiffly in her chair， and thus addressed him：
"It's my duty， Mr. Sutherland， seein' ye have no mother to look after ye--"Hugh expected something matronly about his linen or his socks， and put down his newspaper with a smile； but， to his astonishment， she went on----"To remonstrate wi' ye， on the impropriety of going so often to David Elginbrod's. They're not company for a young gentleman like you， Mr. Sutherland.""They're good enough company for a poor tutor， Mrs. Glasford，"replied Hugh， foolishly enough.
"Not at all， not at all，" insisted the lady. "With your connexions--""Good gracious！ who ever said anything about my connexions？ I never pretended to have any." Hugh was getting angry already.
Mrs. Glasford nodded her head significantly， as much as to say， "Iknow more about you than you imagine，" and then went on：
"Your mother will never forgive me if you get into a scrape with that smooth-faced hussy； and if her father， honest man hasn't eyes enough in his head， other people have--ay， an' tongues too， Mr. Sutherland."
Hugh was on the point of forgetting his manners， and consigning all the above mentioned organs to perdition； but he managed to restrain his wrath， and merely said that Margaret was one of the best girls he had ever known， and that there was no possible danger of any kind of scrape with her. This mode of argument， however， was not calculated to satisfy Mrs. Glasford. She returned to the charge.
"She's a sly puss， with her shy airs and graces. Her father's jist daft wi' conceit o' her， an' it's no to be surprised if she cast a glamour ower you. Mr. Sutherland， ye're but young yet."Hugh's pride presented any alliance with a lassie who had herded the laird's cows barefoot， and even now tended their own cow， as an all but inconceivable absurdity； and he resented， more than he could have thought possible， the entertainment of such a degrading idea in the mind of Mrs. Glasford. Indignation prevented him from replying；while she went on， getting more vernacular as she proceeded.
"It's no for lack o' company 'at yer driven to seek theirs， I'm sure. There's twa as fine lads an' gude scholars as ye'll fin' in the haill kintra-side， no to mention the laird and mysel'."But Hugh could bear it no longer； nor would he condescend to excuse or explain his conduct.
"Madam， I beg you will not mention this subject again.""But I will mention 't， Mr. Sutherlan'； an' if ye'll no listen to rizzon， I'll go to them 'at maun do't.""I am accountable to you， madam， for my conduct in your house， and for the way in which I discharge my duty to your children--no further.""Do ye ca' that dischairgin' yer duty to my bairns， to set them the example o' hingin' at a quean's 鈖ron-strings， and fillin' her lug wi' idle havers？ Ca' ye that dischairgin' yer duty？ My certie！ a bonny dischairgin'！""I never see the girl but in her father and mother's presence.""Weel， weel， Mr. Sutherlan'，" said Mrs. Glasford， in a final tone， and trying to smother the anger which she felt she had allowed to carry her further than was decorous， "we'll say nae mair aboot it at present； but I maun jist speak to the laird himsel'， an' see what he says till 't."And， with this threat， she walked out of the room in what she considered a dignified manner.
Hugh was exceedingly annoyed at this treatment， and thought， at first， of throwing up his situation at once； but he got calmer by degrees， and saw that it would be to his own loss， and perhaps to the injury of his friends at the cottage. So he took his revenge by recalling the excited face of Mrs. Glasford， whose nose had got as red with passion as the protuberance of a turkey-cock when gobbling out its unutterable feelings of disdain. He dwelt upon this soothing contemplation till a fit of laughter relieved him， and he was able to go and join his pupils as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile the lady sent for David， who was at work in the garden， into no less an audience-chamber than the drawing-room， the revered abode of all the tutelar deities of the house； chief amongst which were the portraits of the laird and herself： he， plethoric and wrapped in voluminous folds of neckerchief--she long-necked， and lean， and bare-shouldered. The original of the latter work of art seated herself in the most important chair in the room； and when David， after carefully wiping the shoes he had already wiped three times on his way up， entered with a respectful but no wise obsequious bow， she ordered him， with the air of an empress， to shut the door. When he had obeyed， she ordered him， in a similar tone， to be seated； for she sought to mingle condescension and conciliation with severity.
"David，" she then began， "I am informed that ye keep open door to our Mr. Sutherland， and that he spends most forenichts in your company.""Weel， mem， it's verra true，" was all David's answer. He sat in an expectant attitude.