ot gangin' to hear a preacht gospel: we wad fain see a
practeesed ane! Gien ye had said to me noo the nicht, 'Come awa'
ben, Mistress Croale, an' tak a plet o' cockie-leekie wi' 's; it's a
cauld nicht;' it's mysel' wad hae been sae upliftit wi' yer
kin'ness, 'at I wad hae gane hame an' ta'en--I dinna ken--aiblins a
read at my Bible, an' been to be seen at the kirk upo' Sunday I
wad--o' that ye may be sure; for it's a heap easier to gang to the
kirk nor to read the buik yer lane, whaur ye canna help thinkin'
upo' what it says to ye. But noo, as 'tis, I'm awa' hame to the
whusky boatle, an' the sin o' 't, gien there be ony in sic a nicht
o' cauld an' fog, 'ill jist lie at your door."

"You shall have a plate of soup, and welcome, Mistress Croale!" said
the minister, in a rather stagey tone of hospitality "--Jane, take
Mistress Croale to the kitchen with you, and--"

"The deil's tail i' yer soup!--'At I sud say 't!" cried Mistress
Croale, drawing herself up suddenly, with a snort of anger: "whan
turnt I beggar? I wad fain be informt! Was't yer soup or yer grace
I soucht till, sir? The Lord be atween you an' me! There's first
'at 'll be last, an' last 'at 'll be first. But the tane's no me,
an' the tither's no you, sir."

With that she turned and walked down the steps, holding her head
high.

"Really, Sir Gilbert," said the minister, going back into the
dining-room--but no Gibbie was there!--nobody but his wife, sitting
in solitary discomposure at the head of her dinner-table. The same
instant, he heard a clatter of feet down the steps, and turned
quickly into the hall again, where Jane was in the act of shutting
the door.

"Sir Gilbert's run oot efter the wuman, sir!" she said.

"Hoot!" grunted the minister, greatly displeased, and went back to
his wife.

"Take Sir Gilbert's plate away," said Mrs. Sclater to the servant.

"That's his New Testament again!" she went on, when the girl had
left the room.

"My dear! my dear! take care," said her husband. He had not much
notion of obedience to God, but he had some idea of respect to
religion. He was just an idolater of a Christian shade.

"Really, Mr. Sclater," his wife continued, "I had no idea what I was
undertaking. But you gave me no choice. The creature is
incorrigible. But of course he must prefer the society of women
like that. They are the sort he was accustomed to when he received
his first impressions, and how could it be otherwise?