Malcolm

say. I never kent ony guid come o' them

cht o' layin' 't t

no to say the thing 'at naebody wad du but mysel'. I hae h

om attracted her attention, and checking the flow of her speec

y!" she called after the

wered a gruff v

n' a puckle nails i' your pooch to men' the hen hoose d

d as she called down the stair. Into that on her right Miss Horn now re-entered, to rejoin Mrs Mellis, the wife

awn tones and a shake of the head, implying that therein la

iss Horn. "She was upo' the

had a sair

bien doon sittin' (sheltered quarters), and sud hae had as lang's I

as if she would not willingly be foiled in the attempt to extort for the

ity she hadna the jeedgment to match, for she never misdoobted onybody eneuch. But I wat it disna maitter noo, for she's gane whaur it 's less wantit. For ane 'at has the hairmlessness o' t

say, she was aye some easy to perswaud. I hae nae doubt sh

s Mellis-an' it 's weel ye're named-gien ye daur to hint at ae word o' sic

d more hooked as she glared, while her neck went craning forward as if she were on the point of m

at hae I said to gar ye look

s no a claver in a' the countryside but ye maun fess 't hame aneth yer oxter, as gin 't were the prodigal afore he re

n," said her visitor. "I thocht a'

the name o' the

dee'd afore he wan across the equautor. Only fouk said he was nae m

heid to fit, an'

ed awa efter he gaed, an' never was

a mair aboot the chield nor I did mysel'. She dwyned, I grant ye, an' he gaed awa, I gran

' I canna say mair. Wi' yer leave, Miss Horn, I'll

rtit, winsome thing, wad hae lookit twice at ony sic a serpent as him! Na, na, mem! Gang yer wa's hame, an' come back straucht frae yer prayers the morn's mornin'. By that time she

asting a curious glance as she left it in the direction of that where the body lay, and descended the stairs as slowly as if on every step she deliberated whether the next would bear her weight. Miss Horn, who had followed her to the head o

even (equal) my bonny Grizel to sic a lang kyte clung chiel as