a Catholic, "You maybe do not think it would do you
cood, but the blessing of the poor can never do no harm."

I agreed heartily in Janet's conclusion; and as to have desired her to
consider the hoard as her own property would have been an indelicate
return to her for the uprightness of her conduct, I requested her to
dispose of it as she had proposed to do in the event of my death--that
is, if she knew any poor people of merit to whom it might be useful.

"Ower mony of them," raising the corner of her checked apron to her
eyes--"e'en ower mony of them, Mr. Croftangry. Och, ay. 'There is the
puir Highland creatures frae Glenshee, that cam down for the harvest,
and are lying wi' the fever--five shillings to them; and half a crown to
Bessie MacEvoy, whose coodman, puir creature, died of the frost, being
a shairman, for a' the whisky he could drink to keep it out o' his
stamoch; and--"

But she suddenly interrupted the bead-roll of her proposed charities,
and assuming a very sage look, and primming up her little chattering
mouth, she went on in a different tone--"But och, Mr. Croftangry,
bethink ye whether ye will not need a' this siller yoursel', and maybe
look back and think lang for ha'en kiven it away, whilk is a creat sin
to forthink a wark o' charity, and also is unlucky, and moreover is not
the thought of a shentleman's son like yoursel', dear. And I say this,
that ye may think a bit, for your mother's son kens that ye are no so
careful as you should be of the gear, and I hae tauld ye of it before,
jewel."

I assured her I could easily spare the money, without risk of future
repentance; and she went on to infer that in such a case "Mr. Croftangry
had grown a rich man in foreign parts, and was free of his troubles
with messengers and sheriff-officers, and siclike scum of the earth, and
Shanet MacEvoy's mother's daughter be a blithe woman to hear it. But
if Mr. Croftangry was in trouble, there was his room, and his ped, and
Shanet to wait on him, and tak payment when it was quite convenient."

I explained to Janet my situation, in which she expressed unqualified
delight. I then proceeded to inquire into her own circumstances, and
though she spoke cheerfully and contentedly, I could see they were
precarious. I had paid more than was due; other lodgers fell into
an opposite error, and forgot to pay Janet at all. Then, Janet being
ignorant of all indirect modes of screwing money out of her lodgers,
others in the sam