hospitals ... Oh, it's peetifu'!"

Mawson nodded wisely. "There's plenty Mrs. Duff-Whalleys about; you be
thankful you've only one in the place. Priorsford is a very charitable
place, I think. The poor people here don't know they're born after
London, and the clergy seem very active too."

"Oh, they are that. I daur say they're as guid as is gaun. Mr. Morrison
is a fine man if marriage disna ruin him."

"Oh, surely not!"

"There's no sayin'," said Bella gloomily. "She's young and flighty, but
there's wan thing, she has no money. I kent a minister--he was a kinda
cousin o' ma father's--an' he mairret a heiress and they had late
denner. I tell ye that late denner was the ruin o' that man. It fair got
between him an' his jidgment. He couldna veesit his folk at a wise-like
hour in the evening because he was gaun to hev his denner, and he
couldna get oot late because his leddy-wife wanted him to be at hame
efter denner. There's mony a thing to cause a minister to stumble, for
they're juist human beings after a', but his rich mairrage was John
Allison's undoing."

"Marriage," sighed Mawson, "is a great risk. It's often as well to be
single, but I sometimes think Providence must ha' meant me to 'ave an
'usband--I'm such a clingin' creature."

Such sentiments were most distasteful to Miss Bathgate, that
self-reliant spinster, and she said bitterly:

"Ma wumman, ye're ill off for something to cling to! I never saw the man
yet that I wud be pitten up wi'."

"Ho! I shouldn't say that, but I must say I couldn't fancy a
h'undertaker. Just imagine 'im 'andlin' the dead and then 'andlin' me!"

"Eh, ye nesty cratur," said Bella, much disgusted "But I suppose ye're
meaning _English_ undertakers--men that does naething but work wi'
funerals--a fearsome ill job. Here it's the jiner that does a' thing, so
it's faur mair homely."

"Speakin' about marriages," said Mawson, who preferred cheerful
subjects, "I do enjoy a nice weddin'. The motors and the bridesmaids and
the flowers. Is there no chance of a weddin' 'ere?"

Miss Bathgate shook her head.

"Why not Miss Jean?" Mawson suggested.

Again Miss Bathgate shook her head.

"Nae siller," she said briefly.

"What! No money, you mean? But h'every gentleman ain't after money."
Mawson's expression grew softly sentimental as she added, "Many a one
marries for love, like the King and the beggar-maid."

"Mebbe," said Bella, "but the auld rhyme's oftener true:

"'Be a lassie