for no? Nesty stinkin' things! But that's no the pint. I aye hae
to haud ye to the pint, Betty. The pint is, whether he has rabbits or
no?'

'Or guinea-pigs,' suggested Betty.

'Weel.'

'Or maybe a pup or twa. Or I kent a laddie ance 'at keepit a haill
faimily o' kittlins. Or maybe he micht hae a bit lammie. There was an
uncle o' min' ain--'

'Haud yer tongue, Betty! Ye hae ower muckle to say for a' the sense
there's intil 't.'

'Weel, mem, ye speirt questions at me.'

'Weel, I hae had eneuch o' yer answers, Betty. Gang and tell Robert to
come here direckly.'

Betty went, knowing perfectly that Robert had gone out, and returned
with the information. Her mistress searched her face with a keen eye.

'That maun hae been himsel' efter a' whan ye thocht ye hard the door
gang,' said Betty.

'It's a strange thing that I suld hear him benn here wi' the door
steekit, an' your door open at the verra door-cheek o' the ither, an'
you no hear him, Betty. And me sae deif as weel!'

''Deed, mem,' retorted Betty, losing her temper a little, 'I can be as
deif 's ither fowk mysel' whiles.'

When Betty grew angry, Mrs. Falconer invariably grew calm, or, at least,
put her temper out of sight. She was silent now, and continued silent
till Betty moved to return to her kitchen, when she said, in a tone of
one who had just arrived at an important resolution:

'Betty, we'll jist awa' up the stair an' luik.'

'Weel, mem, I hae nae objections.'

'Nae objections! What for suld you or ony ither body hae ony objections
to me gaein' whaur I like i' my ain hoose? Umph!' exclaimed Mrs.
Falconer, turning and facing her maid.

'In coorse, mem. I only meant I had nae objections to gang wi' ye.'

'And what for suld you or ony ither woman that I paid twa pun' five i'
the half-year till, daur to hae objections to gaein' whaur I wantit ye
to gang i' my ain hoose?'

'Hoot, mem! it was but a slip o' the tongue--naething mair.'

'Slip me nae sic slips, or ye'll come by a fa' at last, I doobt, Betty,'
concluded Mrs. Falconer, in a mollified tone, as she turned and led the
way from the room.

They got a candle in the kitchen and proceeded up-stairs, Mrs. Falconer
still leading, and Betty following. They did not even look into the
ga'le-room, not doubting that the dignity of the best bed-room was in no
danger of being violated even by Robert, but took their way upwards to
the room in which he kept his school-books--almost the only articles