wi' them,
and Chirsty had bocht the chintz to cover the airm-chair wi'. It's ane
o' thae hair-bottomed chairs, but terrible torn, so she'll hae covered
it for 'im to sit on."

"I wouldna wonder but ye're richt, Leeby; for Chirsty would be in an
oncommon fluster if she thocht the lad's mither was likely to hear 'at
her best chair was torn. Ay, ay, bein' a man, he wouldna think to tak
off the chintz an' hae a look at the chair withoot it."

Here Hendry, who had paid no attention to the conversation, broke in--

"Was ye speirin' had I seen Sam'l Duthie? I saw 'im yesterday buyin' a
fender at Will'um Crook's roup."

"A fender! Ay, ay, that settles the queistion," said Leeby; "I'll
warrant the fender was for Chirsty's parlour. It's preyed on Chirsty's
mind, they say, this fower-and-thirty year 'at she doesna hae a richt
parlour fender."

"Leeby, look! That's Robbie Tosh wi' the barrow. He has a michty load
o' luggage. Am thinkin' the minister's bound for Tilliedrum."

"Na, he's no, he's gaen to Edinbory, as ye micht ken by the bandbox.
That'll be his mither's bonnet he's takkin' back to get altered. Ye'll
mind she was never pleased wi' the set o' the flowers."

"Weel, weel, here comes the minister himsel, an' very snod he is. Ay,
Marget's been puttin' new braid on his coat, an' he's carryin' the sma'
black bag he bocht in Dundee last year: he'll hae's nicht-shirt an' a
comb in't, I dinna doot. Ye micht rin to the corner, Leeby, an' see if
he cries in at Jess McTaggart's in passin'."

"It's my opeenion," said Leeby, returning excitedly from the corner,
"'at the lad Wilkie's no to be preachin' the morn, after a'. When I
gangs to the corner, at ony rate, what think ye's the first thing I see
but the minister an' Sam'l Duthie meetin' face to face? Ay, weel, it's
gospel am tellin' ye when I say as Sam'l flung back his head an' walkit
richt by the minister!"

"Losh keep's a', Leeby; ye say that? They maun hae haen a quarrel."

"I'm thinkin' we'll hae Mr. Skinner i' the poopit the morn after a'."

"It may be, it may be. Ay, ay, look, Leeby, whatna bit kimmer's that
wi' the twa jugs in her hand?"

"Eh? Ou, it'll be Lawyer Ogilvy's servant lassieky gaen to the farm o'
T'nowhead for the milk. She gangs ilka Saturday nicht. But what did
ye say--twa jugs? Tod, let's see! Ay, she has so, a big jug an' a
little ane. The little ane 'll be for cream; an', sal, the big ane's
bigger na usual."

"There mau