, at his entrance, the daughter's eye (of whom I
have formerly made mention) immediately kindled into an expression of
the most universal kindness and benevolence. Hitherto she had taken but
a limited interest in what was going on; but now she became the most
prominent figure in the group--whilst the mother dusted a chair for the
welcome stranger with her apron, and the guidman welcomed him with a--

"Come awa, Willie Wilson, an' tak a seat. The nicht's gay dark an'
dreary. I wonder how ye cleared the Whitstane Cleugh and the Side Scaur,
man, on sic an eerie nicht."

"Indeed," responded the stranger, casting a look, in the meantime,
towards the guidman's buxom, and, indeed, lovely daughter--"indeed, it's
an unco fearfu' nicht--sic a mist and sic a cauld I hae seldom if ever
encountered; but I dinna ken hoo it was--I coulda rest at hame till I
had tellt ye a' the news o' the last Langhom market."

"Ay, ay," interrupted the guidwife; "the last Langhom market, man, is an
auld tale noo, I trow. Na, na, yer mither's son camna here on sic a
nicht, and at sic an hour, on sic an unmeaning errand"--finishing her
sentence, however, by a whisper into Willie's ear, which brought a
deeper red into his cheek, and seemed to operate in a similar manner on
the apparently deeply engaged daughter.

"But, Watty," continued my fair purchaser, "you _must_ give me this
Bible a little cheaper--it's ower dear, man--heard ever onybody o' five
white shillings gien for a Bible, and it only a New Testament, after
a'?--it's baith a sin an' a shame, Watty."

After some suitable reluctance, I was on the point of reducing the price
by a single sixpence, when Willie Wilson advanced towards the pack, and
at once taking up the book and the conversation--

"Ower dear, Jessie, my dear!--it's the word o' God, ye ken--his ain
precious word; and I'll e'en mak ye a present o' the book at Watty's ain
price. Ye ken he maun live, as we a' do, by his trade."

The money was instantly paid down from a purse pretty will filled; for
William Wilson was the son of a wealthy and much respected sheep-farmer
in the neighbourhood, and had had his name _once_ called in the kirk,
along with that of "Janet Harkness of Burnfoot, both in this parish."

"Hoot noo, bairns," rejoined the mother; "ye're baith wrang--that Bible
winna do ava. Ye maun hae a big ha' Bible to take the buik wi', and
worship the God o' yer fathers nicht and morning, as they hae dune afore
ye; and Wa