"In that case, I may speyk oot," said Mrs Mellis.
"Use yer freedom."
"Weel, I will. Ye was hardly oot o' the hoose last nicht, afore
--"
"Ye saw me gang oot?"
"Ay did I."
"What gart ye speir than? What for sud a body come screwin' up a
straucht stair--noo the face an' noo the back o' her?"
"Weel, I nott (needed) na hae speirt. But that's naething to the
p'int.--Ye hadna been gane, as I was saying', ower a five meenutes,
whan in cam a licht intill the bedroom neist the parlour, an' Jean
appeart wi' a can'le in her han'. There was nae licht i' this room
but the licht o' the fire, an' no muckle o' that, for 'twas maistly
peat, sae I saw her weel eneuch-ohn been seen mysel'. She cam
straucht to the window, and drew doon the blind, but lost hersel'
a bit or she wad never hae set doon her can'le whaur it cuist a
shaidow o' hersel' an' her doin's upo' the blind."
"An' what was 't she was efter, the jaud?" cried Miss Horn, without
any attempt to conceal her growing interest.
"She made naething o' 't, whatever it was; for doon the street cam
the schuilmaister, an' chappit at the door, an gaed in an' waitit
till ye came hame."
"Weel!" said Miss Horn.
But Mrs Mellis held her peace.
"Weel!!?" repeated Miss Horn.
"Weel," returned Mrs Mellis, with a curious mixture of deference
and conscious sagacity in her tone, "a' 'at I tak upo' me to say
is--Think ye twice afore ye lippen to that Jean o' yours."
"I lippen naething till her! I wad as sune lippen to the dottle o'
a pipe amo' dry strae.
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