“Baith gude—­baith excellent—­canna be better; but the very smell is eneugh for me that hae dined sae lately (the faithful wretch had fasted since daybreak).  But I wadna affront your housewifeskep, gudewife; and, with your permission, I’se e’en pit them in my napkin, and eat them to my supper at e’en, for I am wearied of Mysie’s pastry and nonsense; ye ken landward dainties aye pleased me best, Marion, and landward lasses too (looking at the cooper’s wife).  Ne’er a bit but she looks far better than when she married Gilbert, and then she was the bonniest lass in our parochine and the neist till’t.  But gawsie cow, goodly calf.”

The women smiled at the compliment each to herself, and they smiled again to each other as Caleb wrapt up the puddings in a towel which he had brought with him, as a dragoon carries his foraging bag to receive what my fall in his way.

“And what news at the castle?” quo’ the gudewife.

“News!  The bravest news ye ever heard—­the Lord Keeper’s up yonder wi’ his fair daughter, just ready to fling her at my lord’s head, if he winna tak her out o’ his arms; and I’se warrant he’ll stitch our auld lands of Ravenswood to her petticoat tail.”

“Eh! sirs—­ay!—­and will hae her? and is she weel-favoured? and what’s the colour o’ her hair? and does she wear a habit or a railly?” were the questions which the females showered upon the butler.

“Hout tout! it wad tak a man a day to answer a’ your questions, and I hae hardly a minute.  Where’s the gudeman?”

“Awa’ to fetch the minister,” said Mrs. Girder, “precious Mr. Peter Bide-the-Bent, frae the Mosshead; the honest man has the rheumatism wi’ lying in the hills in the persecution.”

“Ay!  Whig and a mountain-man, nae less!” said Caleb, with a peevishness he could not suppress.  “I hae seen the day, Luckie, when worthy Mr. Cuffcushion and the service-book would hae served your turn (to the elder dame), or ony honest woman in like circumstances.”

“And that’s true too,” said Mrs. Lightbody, “but what can a body do?  Jean maun baith sing her psalms and busk her cockernony the gate the gudeman likes, and nae ither gate; for he’s maister and mair at hame, I can tell ye, Mr. Balderstone.”

“Ay, ay, and does he guide the gear too?” said Caleb, to whose projects masculine rule boded little good.  “Ilka penny on’t; but he’ll dress her as dink as a daisy, as ye see; sae she has little reason to complain:  where there’s ane better aff there’s ten waur.”

“Aweel, gudewife,” said Caleb, crestfallen, but not beaten off, “that wasna the way ye guided your gudeman; bt ilka land has its ain lauch.  I maun be ganging.  I just wanted to round in the gudeman’s lug, that I heard them say up-bye yonder that Peter Puncheon, that was cooper to the Queen’s stores at the Timmer Burse at Leith, is dead; sae I though that maybe a word frae my lord to the Lord Keeper might hae served Gilbert; but since he’s frae hame——­”