"If you 'll please, mem, ton't you'll pe too sherp on ta poor man
whose wife will not pe ta coot wife. If ta wife will pe ta paad
wife, she will pe ta paad wife however, and ta poor man will pe
hafing ta paad wife and ta paad plame of it too, and tat will pe
more as 'll pe fair, mem."
"'Deed ye never said a truer word, Maister MacPhail!" assented Miss
Horn. "It's a mercy 'at a lone wuman like me, wha has a maisterfu'
temper o' her ain, an' nae feelin's, was never putten to the
temptation o' occkypeein' sic a perilous position. I doobt gien
auld John had been merried upo' me, I micht hae putten on the wrang
claes some mornin' mysel', an' may be had ill gettin' o' them aff
again."
The old man was silent, and Miss Horn resumed the main subject of
their conversation.
"But though he michtna objec' till a father 'at he wasna jist Hector
or Golia' o' Gath," she said, "ye canna wonner 'at the yoong laad
no carin' to hae sic a mither."
"And what would pe ta harm with ta mother? Will she not pe a coot
woman, and a coot letty more to ta bargain?"
"Ye ken what fowk says till her guideship o' her son?"
"Yes; put tat will pe ta lies of ta peoples. Ta peoples wass always
telling lies."
"Weel, allooin', it 's a peety ye sudna ken, supposin' him to be
hers, hoo sma' fowk hauds the chance o' his bein' a Stewart, for
a' that!"
"She 'll not pe comprestanding you," said Duncan, bewildered.
"He's a wise son 'at kens his ain faither!" remarked Miss Horn,
with more point than originality.
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