His unexpected and most unwelcome presence overwhelmed the smith with confusion.

Ready evasion was not the property of his bold, blunt temper; and knowing this man to be a curious observer, a malignant tale bearer, and by no means well disposed to himself in particular, no better hope occurred to him than that the worshipful apothecary would give him some pretext to silence his testimony and secure his discretion by twisting his neck round.
But, far from doing or saying anything which could warrant such extremities, the pottingar, seeing himself so close upon his stalwart townsman that recognition was inevitable, seemed determined it should be as slight as possible; and without appearing to notice anything particular in the company or circumstances in which they met, he barely slid out these words as he passed him, without even a glance towards his companion after the first instant of their meeting: "A merry holiday to you once more, stout smith.

What! thou art bringing thy cousin, pretty Mistress Joan Letham, with her mail, from the waterside--fresh from Dundee, I warrant?
I heard she was expected at the old cordwainer's." As he spoke thus, he looked neither right nor left, and exchanging a "Save you!" with a salute of the same kind which the smith rather muttered than uttered distinctly, he glided forward on his way like a shadow.
"The foul fiend catch me, if I can swallow that pill," said Henry Smith, "how well soever it may be gilded.

The knave has a shrewd eye for a kirtle, and knows a wild duck from a tame as well as e'er a man in Perth.

He were the last in the Fair City to take sour plums for pears, or my roundabout cousin Joan for this piece of fantastic vanity.