ould not talk of things
their guest did not understand; that would be like shutting him out
after taking him in!

"Yoong Eppy 's a gran'child, sir--the only ane we hae. She's a weel
behavet lass, though ta'en up wi' the things o' this warl' mair nor her
grannie an' me could wuss. She's in a place no far frae here--no an
easy ane, maybe, to gie satisfaction in, but she's duin' no that ill."

"Hoot, Anerew! she's duin' jist as well as ony lassie o' her years
could in justice be expeckit," interposed the grandmother. "It's seldom
the Lord 'at sets auld heid upo' yoong shoothers."

The words were hardly spoken when a light foot was heard coming up the
stair.

"--But here she comes to answer for hersel'!" she added cheerily.

The door of the room opened, and a good-looking girl of about eighteen
came in.

"Weel, yoong Eppy, hoo 's a' wi' ye?" said the old man.

The grandmother's name was Elspeth, the grand-daughter's had therefore
always the prefix.

"Brawly, thank ye, gran'father," she answered. "Hoo 's a' wi' yersel'?"

"Ow, weel cobblet!" he replied.

"Sit ye doon," said the grandmother, "by the spark o' fire; the nicht
's some airy like."

"Na, grannie, I want nae fire," said the girl. "I hae run a' the ro'd
to get a glimp' o' ye 'afore the week was oot."

"Hoo 's things gaein' up at the castel?"

"Ow, sic-like 's usual--only the hoosekeeper 's some dowy, an' that
puts mair upo' the lave o' 's: whan she's weel, she's no ane to spare
hersel'--or ither fowk aither!--I wadna care, gien she wud but lippen
til a body!" concluded young Eppy, with a toss of her head.

"We maunna speyk evil o' dignities, yoong Eppy!" said the cobbler, with
a twinkle in his eye.

"Ca' ye mistress Brookes a dignity, gran'father!" said the girl, with a
laugh that was nowise rude.

"I do," he answered. "Isna she ower ye? Haena ye to du as she tells
ye? 'Atween her an' you that's eneuch: she's ane o' the dignities
spoken o'."

"I winna dispute it. But, eh, it's queer wark yon'er!"

"Tak ye care, yoong Eppy! we maun haud oor tongues aboot things
committit til oor trust. Ane peyt to serve in a hoose maunna tre't the
affairs o' that hoose as gien they war her ain."

"It wad be weel gien a'body about the hoose was as partic'lar as ye wad
hae me, gran'father!"

"Hoo's my lord, lass?"

"Ow, muckle the same--aye up the stair an' doon the stair the forepairt
o' the nicht, an' maist inveesible a' day."

The girl cast a shy g