n began to jeer me about
him. Weel, he called and called, for I daresay as good as three quarters
of a year; and he was sae backward and modest a' the time that I thought
him a very remarkable man; indeed, I began to think him every way
superior to James Laidlaw.

But at last he made proposals--I consented--the wedding-day was set, and
we had been cried in the kirk. It was the fair day, just two days before
we were to be married, and he came into the house, and, after he had
been seated a while, and cracked in his usual kind way--

'Oh,' says he, 'what a bargain I hae missed the day! There are four lots
o' cattle in the market, and I might hae cleared four hundred pounds,
cent. per cent., by them.'

'Losh me! Walter, then,' says I, 'why didna ye do it? How did ye let sic
a bargain slip through your fingers?'

'Woman,' said he, 'I dinna ken; but a man that is to be married within
eight and forty hours is excusable. I came to the Fair without any
thought o' either buying or selling--but just to see you, Diana--and I
kenned there wasna meikle siller necessary for that.'

'Losh, Walter, man,' said I, 'but that is a pity--and ye say ye could
mak cent. per cent. by the beasts?'

''Deed could I,' quoth he--'I am sure o' that.'

'Then, Walter,' says I, 'what is mine the day is to be yours the morn, I
may say; and it would be a pity to lose sic a bargain.'

Therefore I put into his hands an order on a branch bank, that had been
established in Dunse, for every farthing that I was worth in the world,
and Walter kissed me, and went out to get the money frae the bank and
buy the cattle.

But he hadna been out an hour, when ane o' my brothers-in-law called,
and I thought he looked unco dowie. So I began to tell him about the
excellent bargain that Walter had made, and what I had done. But the man
started frae his seat as if he were crazed, and, without asking me ony
questions, he only cried--'Gracious! Diana! hae ye been sic an idiot?'
and, rushing out o' the house, ran to the bank.

He left me in a state that I canna describe; I neither kenned what to do
nor what to think. But within half an hour he returned, and he cried out
as he entered--'Diana, ye are ruined! He has taken in you and everybody
else. The villain broke yesterday. He is off! Ye may bid fare weel to
your siller!' 'Wha is off?' cried I, and I was in sic a state I was
hardly able to speak. 'Walter Sanderson!' answered my brother-in-law.

I believe I went i