have the least
glimpse of; for, just in the middle of their fine goings-on, the sound of
a coming foot was heard, and the lassie, taking guilt to her, cried out,
"Hide me, hide me, for the sake of goodness, for yonder comes my old
father!"

No sooner said than done. In he stappit her into a closet; and, after
shutting the door on her, he sat down upon a chair, pretending to be
asleep in the twinkling of a walking-stick. The old father came bouncing
in, and seeing the fellow as sound as a top, he ran forward and gave him
such a shake as if he would have shooken him all sundry; which soon made
him open his eyes as fast as he had steeked them. After blackguarding
the chield at no allowance, cursing him up hill and down dale, and
calling him every name but a gentleman, he held his staff over his crown,
and gripping him by the cuff of the neck, asked him, in a fierce tone,
what he had made of his daughter. Never since I was born did I ever see
such brazenfaced impudence! The rascal had the brass to say at once,
that he had not seen word or wittens of the lassie for a month, though
more than a hundred folk sitting in his company had beheld him dauting
her with his arm round her jimpy waist, not five minutes before. As a
man, as a father, as an elder of our kirk, my corruption was raised, for
I aye hated lying as a poor cowardly sin, and an inbreak on the ten
commandments; and I found my neighbour, Mr Glen, fidgeting on the seat as
well as me; so I thought, that whoever spoke first would have the best
right to be entitled to the reward; whereupon, just as he was in the act
of rising up, I took the word out of his mouth, saying, "Dinna believe
him, auld gentleman--dinna believe him, friend; he's telling a parcel of
lees. Never saw her for a month! It's no worth arguing, or calling
witnesses; just open that press-door, and ye'll see whether I'm speaking
truth or not!"

The old man stared, and looked dumfoundered; and the young one, instead
of running forward with his double nieves to strike me, the only thing I
was feared for, began a-laughing, as if I had done him a good turn. But
never since I had a being, did I ever witness such an uproar and noise as
immediately took place. The whole house was so glad that the scoundrel
had been exposed, that they set up siccan a roar of laughter, and thumped
away at siccan a rate at the boards with their feet, that at long and
last, with pushing and fidgeting, clapping their hand