her
neighbors. Yet in these, her poor circumstances, she still preserved the
air and mien of a gentlewoman--a certain decent pride that extorted
respect from the haughtiest of her neighbors. When she came in to any
full assembly, she would not yield the _pas_ to the best of them. If one
asked her, "Are you not related to John Bull?" "Yes," says she, "he has
the honor to be my brother." So Peg's affairs went till all the
relations cried out shame upon John for his barbarous usage of his own
flesh and blood; that it was an easy matter for him to put her in a
creditable way of living, not only without hurt, but with advantage to
himself, seeing she was an industrious person, and might be serviceable
to him in his way of business. "Hang her, jade," quoth John, "I can't
endure her as long as she keeps that rascal Jack's company." They told
him the way to reclaim her was to take her into his house; that by
conversation the childish humors of their younger days might be
worn out.

These arguments were enforced by a certain incident. It happened that
John was at that time about making his will and entailing his estate,
the very same in which Nic. Frog is named executor. Now, his sister
Peg's name being in the entail, he could not make a thorough settlement
without her consent. There was indeed a malicious story went about, as
if John's last wife had fallen in love with Jack as he was eating
custard on horseback; that she persuaded John to take his sister into
the house the better to drive on the intrigue with Jack, concluding he
would follow his mistress Peg. All I can infer from this story is that
when one has got a bad character in the world, people will report and
believe anything of them, true or false. But to return to my story.

When Peg received John's message she huffed and stormed:--"My brother
John," quoth she, "is grown wondrous kind-hearted all of a sudden, but I
meikle doubt whether it be not mair for their own conveniency than for
my good; he draws up his writs and his deeds, forsooth, and I must set
my hand to them, unsight, unseen. I like the young man he has settled
upon well enough, but I think I ought to have a valuable consideration
for my consent. He wants my poor little farm because it makes a nook in
his park wall. You may e'en tell him he has mair than he makes good use
of; he gangs up and down drinking, roaring, and quarreling, through all
the country markets, making foolish bargains in his cups, whic