er an' ink an' a pen wi' me, to write the
proceedins doon, but I said, 'Na, na, I'll tak' paper, but no nae ink
nor nae pen, for there'll be ink an' a pen there.' That was what I
said."

"An' did she let him aff?" asked Leeby.

"Weel," said Tammas, "aff we goes to Mag's hoose, an' sure enough Mag
was in. She was alone, too; so Gavin, no to waste time, juist sat doon
for politeness' sake, an' syne rises up again; an says he, 'Marget
Lownie, I hae a solemn question to speir at ye, namely this. Will you,
Marget Lownie, let me, Gavin Birse, aff?'"

"Mag would start at that?"

"Sal, she was braw an' cool. I thocht she maun ha'e got wind o' his
intentions aforehand, for she juist replies, quiet-like, 'Hoo do ye
want aff, Gavin?'

"'Because,' says he, like a book, 'my affections has undergone a
change.'

"'Ye mean Jean Luke,' says Mag.

"'That is wha I mean,' says Gavin, very strait-forrard."

"But she didna let him aff, did she?"

"Na, she wasna the kind. Says she, 'I wonder to hear ye, Gavin, but
'am no goin' to agree to naething o' that sort.'

"'Think it ower,' says Gavin.

"'Na, my mind's made up,' said she.

"'Ye would sune get anither man,' he says, earnestly.

"'Hoo do I ken that?' she speirs, rale sensibly, I thocht, for men's no
sae easy to get.

"''Am sure o' 't,' Gavin says, wi' michty conviction in his voice, 'for
ye're bonny to look at, an' weel-kent for bein' a guid body.'

"'Ay,' says Mag, 'I'm glad ye like me, Gavin, for ye have to tak me.'"

"That put a clincher on him," interrupted Hendry.

"He was loth to gie in," replied Tammas, "so he says, 'Ye think 'am a
fine character, Marget Lownie, but ye're very far mista'en. I wouldna
wonder but what I was lossin' my place some o' thae days, an' syne
whaur would ye be?--Marget Lownie,' he goes on, ''am nat'rally lazy an'
fond o' the drink. As sure as ye stand there, 'am a reglar deevil!'"

"That was strong language," said Hendry, "but he would be wantin' to
fleg (frighten) her?"

"Juist so, but he didna manage 't, for Mag says, 'We a' ha'e oor
faults, Gavin, an' deevil or no deevil, ye're the man for me!'

"Gavin thocht a bit," continued Tammas, "an' syne he tries her on a new
tack. 'Marget Lownie,' he says, 'yer father's an auld man noo, an' he
has naebody but yersel to look after him. I'm thinkin' it would be
kind o' cruel o' me to tak ye awa frae him?'"

"Mag wouldna be ta'en wi' that; she wasna born on a Sawbath," said
Jess,