like a ratten in a Dunlap cheese, and
diminishing his means at a' hands. I canna bide to think on't." With
this she broke out into a snatch of a ballad, but little of mirth was
there either in the tone or the expression:--

"For he did spend, and make an end
Of gear that his forefathers wan;
Of land and ware he made him bare,
So speak nae mair of the auld gudeman."

"Come, dame," said I, "it is a long lane that has no turning. I will not
keep from you that I have heard something of this poor fellow, Chrystal
Croftangry. He has sown his wild oats, as they say, and has settled into
a steady, respectable man."

"And wha tell'd ye that tidings?" said she, looking sharply at me.

"Not, perhaps, the best judge in the world of his character, for it was
himself, dame."

"And if he tell'd you truth, it was a virtue he did not aye use to
practise," said Christie.

"The devil!" said I, considerably nettled; "all the world held him to be
a man of honour."

"Ay, ay! he would hae shot onybody wi' his pistols and his guns that had
evened him to be a liar. But if he promised to pay an honest tradesman
the next term-day, did he keep his word then? And if he promised a puir,
silly lass to make gude her shame, did he speak truth then? And what is
that but being a liar, and a black-hearted, deceitful liar to boot?"

My indignation was rising, but I strove to suppress it; indeed, I should
only have afforded my tormentor a triumph by an angry reply. I partly
suspected she began to recognize me, yet she testified so little emotion
that I could not think my suspicion well founded. I went on, therefore,
to say, in a tone as indifferent as I could command, "Well, goodwife,
I see you will believe no good of this Chrystal of yours, till he comes
back and buys a good farm on the estate, and makes you his housekeeper."

The old woman dropped her thread, folded her hands, as she looked up to
heaven with a face of apprehension. "The Lord," she exclaimed, "forbid!
The Lord in His mercy forbid! O sir! if you really know this unlucky
man, persuade him to settle where folk ken the good that you say he has
come to, and dinna ken the evil of his former days. He used to be proud
enough--O dinna let him come here, even for his own sake. He used once
to have some pride."

Here she once more drew the wheel close to her, and began to pull at the
flax with both hands. "Dinna let him come here, to be looked down upon
by ony that may be