Charles V, we will abdicate, and seek in the private shades of
life those pleasures which are denied to a throne.'

So saying, he flung away his crown, and sprung from his exalted
station with more agility than could have been expected from his
age, ordered lights and a wash-hand basin and towel, with a cup of
green tea, into another room, and made a sign to Mannering to
accompany him. In less than two minutes he washed his face and
hands, settled his wig in the glass, and, to Mannering's great
surprise, looked quite a different man from the childish Bacchanal
he had seen a moment before.

'There are folks,' he said, 'Mr. Mannering, before whom one should
take care how they play the fool, because they have either too
much malice or too little wit, as the poet says. The best
compliment I can pay Colonel Mannering is to show I am not ashamed
to expose myself before him; and truly I think it is a compliment
I have not spared to-night on your good-nature. But what's that
great strong fellow wanting?'

Dinmont, who had pushed after Mannering into the room, began with
a scrape with his foot and a scratch of his head in unison. 'I am
Dandie Dinmont, sir, of the Charlie's Hope--the Liddesdale lad;
ye'll mind me? It was for me ye won yon grand plea.'

'What plea, you loggerhead?' said the lawyer. 'D'ye think I can
remember all the fools that come to plague me?'

'Lord, sir, it was the grand plea about the grazing o' the Langtae
Head!' said the farmer.