Nelly," said he, "I'll e'en tak your advice; ye never
counselled me to do a wrang thing in your life, and I'll gang hame wi'
ye ony time ye like. But come away," he continued, "and look out some
grand thing for your market-fare. I've ten shillings i' my pouch--no
ae bawbee o't spent yet; and, be what it like, if that'll buy't, yese
no want it."

In compliance with his wishes, they began to look about for the
article in question; but Nelly, who had lived long enough to know the
value of money, would suffer him to purchase nothing of an expensive
nature; and, after some friendly expostulation, a pair of scissors was
agreed upon, for which he paid sixpence, and she put them in her
pocket, observing, at the same time, that "they would be o' mair use
to her than twenty ells o' riband, or a hale pouchfu o' _sweeties_."

"I've often wondered," said she, "if a lass could hae ony _real_ likin
for a lad, when she was temptin him to fling awa his siller, buyin
whigmaleeries, to gar her look like an _antic_ amang ither folk, or
how she thought a lad wha would let his siller gang that gate, could
ever provide for the wants o' a house, if they should come to hae ane
o' their ain."

Jock readily acknowledged the good sense of all this; he also
acknowledged to himself that young women with such sentiments were not
over and above being rife; and, though Nelly was not very young, he
thought her a more discerning lass than he had ever done before. They
therefore kept together during what remained of their stay; and, as
Jock's greatest fault was a propensity to spend his money on trifles,
Nelly easily persuaded him to accompany her home before the afternoon
was far advanced.

They accordingly journeyed up the glen together; and, without
encountering either ghost, witch, or fairy, they had reached a part of
the road from which a house, a barn, and a byre, were to be seen. The
husband and wife were already home from the market, whither they had
gone to buy a cow, and standing at the end of the house with their
three children, the oldest of whom appeared to be a stout girl, beside
them. Such scenes seem to have a peculiar charm for women, and Nelly
was the first to notice it.

"Look, Jock," said she, "yonder's Andrew Braikens and his wife hame
frae the market already. Dinna ye see them standing at the end o'
their house there, and their three bairns beside them, and baith
lookin as happy as the day's lang? Noo, Jock," she continued, lo