“I declare I don’t very well know how to announce this happy event to Lady Maclaughlan,” said Miss Grizzy, as she sat in a ruminating posture, with her pen in her hand; “it will give her the greatest pleasure, I know that; she has such a regard for our family, she would go any lengths for us.  At the same time, everybody must be sensible it is a delicate matter to tell a person of Lady Maclaughlan’s skill they have been mistaken.  I’m sure I don’t know how she may take it:  and yet she can’t suppose it will make any difference in our sentiments for her.  She must be sensible we have all the greatest respect for her opinion.”

“The wisest people are sometimes mistaken,” observed Miss Jacky.

“I’m sure, Jacky, that’s very true,” said Grizzy, brightening up at the brilliancy of this remark.

“And it’s better she should have been mistaken than Mrs. Douglas,” followed up Miss Nicky.

“I declare, Nicky, you are perfectly right; and I shall just say so at once to Lady Maclaughlan.”

The epistle was forthwith commenced by the enlightened Grizelda.  Miss Joan applied herself to the study of “The Whole Duty of Man,” which she was, determined to make herself mistress of for the benefit of her grand-nephew; and Miss Nicholas fell to reckoning all who could, would, or should be at the christening, that she might calculate upon the quantity of dreaming-bread that would be required.  The younger ladies were busily engaged in divers and sundry disputes regarding the right to succession to a once-white lutestring negligee of their mother’s, which three of them had laid their accounts with figuring in at the approaching celebration.  The old gentleman was the only one in the family who took the least of the general happiness.  He had got into a habit of being fretted about everything that happened, and he could not entirely divest himself of it even upon this occasion.  His parsimonious turns, too, had considerably increased; and his only criterion of judging of anything was according to what it would bring.

“Sorra tak me if ane wadnae think, to hear ye, this was the first bairn that e’er was born!  ‘What’sa’ the fraize aboot, ye gowks?” (to his daughters)—­“a whingin get! that’ll tak mail’ oot o’ fowk’s pockets than e’er it’ll pit into them!  Mony a guid profitable beast’s been brought into the warld and ne’er a word in in’ts heed.”

All went on smoothly.  Lady Maclaughlan testified no resentment.  Miss Jacky had the “The Whole Duty of Man” at her finger-ends; and Miss Nicky was not more severe than could have been expected, considering, as she did, how the servants at Lochmarlie must be living at hack and manger.  It had been decided at Glenfern that the infant heir to its consequence could not with propriety be christened any where but at the seat of his forefathers.  Mr. and Mrs. Douglas had good-humouredly yielded the point; and, as soon as she was able for the change, the whole family took up their residence for a season under the paternal roof.