fair, and troth they baith spak very weel—Now, the priest says it's unlawful to marry ane's cousin; but I canna say I thought he brought out the Gospel authorities half sae weel as our minister—our minister is thought the best divine and the best preacher atween this and Edinburgh—Dinna ye think he was likely to be right?"
"Certainly marriage, by all protestant Christians, is held to be as free as God made it by the Levitical law; so, Hobbie, there can be no bar, legal or religious, betwixt you and Miss Armstrong."
"Hout, awa wi' your joking, Earnscliff—ye are sae angry yoursel if ane touches you a bit, man, on the sooth side of the jest—No that I was asking the question about Grace, for ye maun ken she's no my cousin-germain out and out, but the daughter of my uncle's wife by her first marriage, so she's nae kith nor kin to me—only a connection like.—But now we're at the Sheeling-hill—I'll fire off my gun, to
