government, and let us tak nae wrang for the daft speeches of an auld jaud," (here she turned fiercely upon Mause, to indulge herself for the effort which it cost her to assume a mild demeanour to the soldiers,) "a daft auld whig randie, that ne'er was in the house (foul fa' her) till yesterday afternoon, and that sall ne'er cross the door-stane again an' anes I had her out o't."
"Ay, ay," said Cuddie, "e'en sae. I kenn'd we wad be put to our travels again whene'er you suld get three words spoken to an end. I was sure that wad be the upshot o't, mither."
"Whisht, my bairn," said she, "and dinna murmur at the cross—cross their doorstane? weel I wot I'll ne'er cross their doorstane. There's nae mark on their threshold for a signal that the destroying angel should pass by. They'll get a back cast o' his hand yet, that think sae muckle o' the creature, and sae little o' the Creator—sae muckle o' warld's gear and sae little o' a
