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"You're right, Dan," he said, after a short silence, "when I come to think of it; I don't exactly see myself where the homelessness comes in. A bite and a sup and a faithful dog, and a guidwife by a glowing hearth, and what more is needed to make a home. Eh, Tiddle'ums?"
"As to that, you know best, guidwife," he answered, smiling, "but I think I have heard of a wife up about the Heathknowes, who in some measure possesses the power of her unruly member. It is possible that Jen there may have picked up a thorn or two from that side!" William Lyon caught his daughter's ear.
It isna wi' a man body as it is wi' the like o' us. If he didna do as the lave do, he wad be informed against, and he maun obey or die!" "Let him die, then, as a man, as a Scotchman!" said the stern guidwife of Coldingham.
"Is this my Hogmanay, guidwife?" he asked in the nick of time, and the situation thus being saved, the luscious feast was partaken of, the guisers listening solemnly as each bite went down. They also took care to address their hostess as "guidwife" or "mistress," affecting not to have met her lately, and inquiring genially after the health of herself and family.
"But noo that she is hame they tell me that her heid 'tis held perkit and her speech is high and the polished shell is o'er all." Stewart looked away from his mother's frank eyes. He was too honest to argue or dispute. "I love her just the same!" "She ca'd wi' her father at the mill this day, eh? The guidwife said as much." "Aye, in the way o' politeness!"
He was not a man of talk, and the tears had washed the soot from his face in two white furrows. "Ye'll hae a waught wi' me afore ye gang, John," he said clumsily, "for th' morns we've paddl' 't thegither i' th' Nith." The ale was brought by the guidwife, who paused, as she put it down, to wipe her eyes with her apron.
"Oh, it's juist a mainner o' speakin', sir; I was takin' a personal example. Weel, ye gang hame to the wife aboot the gloamin', an' ye open the door, an' ye says, says you, pleesant like, bein' warm aboot the wame, Guid e'en to ye, guidwife, my dawtie, an' hoos a' thing been gaim wi' ye the day? D'ye think she needs to luik roon' to ken a' aboot the Black Bull?
He had said so much with an infinite sadness, and I read a response in the eyes of more than one of his listeners, the guidwife weeping aloud. But now his voice rose, and he ended with a fiery vigour. "Renounce her I do," he cried, "now and forevermore! Henceforth I am no countryman of yours. And if a day of repentance should come for this evil, remember well what I have said to you."
'Aweel, concluded the Provost, 'we wull gie him the chance. 'Look ye, he addressed himself to the captive, 'the guidwife is verra tender hairted: she disna care to see ye trail i' the wind, but will offer ye Meg, oor daughter, instead o' the halter ye hae truly earned. Ye can tak Meg an' your life as her tocher.
"He seems to me to be a decent, canny lad; and, at ony rate, we canna be far wrang wi' ae six months o' him, ony way, seein that he's payin the siller afore haun. That's the grand point, Rab." "Feth, it's that, guidwife nae doot o't," replied her husband. "Juist the pint o' pints. But whar'll ye put the lad?" "Ou, tak ye nae fash about that, guidman. I'll manage that.
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