just spoke about our country clashes like—he was a very frank man."
"Well, and what did he say in answer?"
"Ou, he just stared at the young leddies very keen like, and asked if it was for certain that the marriage was to be between Miss Mannering and young Hazlewood—and I answered him that it was for positive and absolute certain, as I had an undoubted right to say sae—for my third cousin, Jean Claverse, (she's a relation o' your ain, Mr Glossin, you wad ken Jean lang syne?) she's sib to the housekeeper at Woodbourne, and she's tauld me mair nor ance that there was naething mair likely."
"And what did the stranger say when you told him all this?"
"Say? naething at a—he just stared at them as they walked round the loch upon the ice, as if he could have eaten them, and he never took his e'e aff them or said another word, though there was the finest fun amang the curlers ever was seen—and he turned round and gaed aff the loch by the
