n."

"Let them. There'll be nae law or justice in the country if they mak
that oot," responded Mrs. Callender, and exhibiting, in this sentiment,
the very striking difference of opinion between the two ladies, of the
law and justice of the land.

The fears, however, which Mr. Callender openly expressed, as above
recorded, and which his wife felt but concealed, were not groundless. On
the evening of the very next day after the battle of the nightcaps, as
Thomas Callender was sitting in his elbow-chair by the fire, luxuriously
enjoying its grateful warmth, and the ease and comfort of his slippers
and red nightcap, which he had drawn well down over his ears, he was
suddenly startled by a sharp, loud rap at the door. Mrs. Callender
hastened to open it, when two papers were thrust into her hands by an
equivocal-looking personage, who, without saying a word, wheeled round
on his heel the instant he had placed the mysterious documents in her
possession, and hastened away.

With some misgivings as to the contents of these papers, Mrs. Callender
placed them before her husband.

"What's this?" said the latter, with a look of great alarm, and placing
his spectacles on his nose, preparatory to a deliberate perusal of the
suspicious documents. His glasses wiped and adjusted, Thomas unfolded
the papers, held them up close to the candle, and found them to be a
couple of summonses, one for himself and one for his wife. These
summonses, we need hardly say, were at the instance of their neighbour,
John Anderson, and exhibited a charge of assault and battery, and claim
for damages, to the extent of two pounds fourteen shillings sterling,
for demolition of certain articles of stoneware, &c. &c. &c.

"Ay," said Thomas, laying down the fatal papers. "Faith, here it is,
then! We're gaun to get it ruch an roun', noo, Mirran. I was dootin
this. But we'll defen', we'll defen'," added Thomas, who was, or, we
rather suspect, imagined himself to be, a bit of a lawyer, ever since
the affair of the duck-dub, during which he had picked up some law
terms, but without any accompanying knowledge whatever of their import
or applicability. "We'll defen', we'll defen'," he said, with great
confidence of manner, "and gie them a revised condescendence for't that
they'll fin gayan teuch to chow. But we maun obey the ceetation, in the
first place, to prevent decreet in absence, whilk wad gie the pursuer,
in this case, everything his ain way."

"Defen'!"