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Mailsetter, "there's somebody in the shop," then aloud "Look to the customers, Baby!" Baby answered from without in a shrill tone "It's naebody but Jenny Caxon, ma'am, to see if there's ony letters to her."
"I just gat ae bit scrape o' a pen frae him, to say there wad, as yesterday fell, be a packet at Tannonburgh, wi' letters o' great consequence to the Knockwinnock folk; for they jaloused the opening of our letters at Fairport And that's a's true; I hear Mrs. Mailsetter is to lose her office for looking after other folk's business and neglecting her ain."
"I'm sorry for that," answered the postmistress, gravely; "it's like we maun wait then till the gudeman comes hame, after a' for I wadna like to be responsible in trusting the letter to sic a callant as Jock our Davie belangs in a manner to the office." "Aweel, aweel, Mrs. Mailsetter, I see what ye wad be at but an ye like to risk the bairn, I'll risk the beast." Orders were accordingly given.
"They who employed thee," replied Oldbuck, "as thou full well dost know. But here comes another express: this is a day of news, I think." This was Mr. Mailsetter on his mare from Fairport, with a letter for Sir Arthur, another to the messenger, both of which, he said, he was directed to forward instantly.
"I just gat ae bit scrape o' a pen frae him, to say there wad, as yesterday fell, be a packet at Tannonburgh, wi' letters o' great consequence to the Knockwinnock folk; for they jaloused the opening of our letters at Fairport And that's a's true; I hear Mrs. Mailsetter is to lose her office for looking after other folk's business and neglecting her ain."
"Hout tout, leddies," cried Mrs. Mailsetter, "ye're clean wrang It's a line out o' ane o' his sailors' sangs that I have heard him sing, about being true like the needle to the pole." "Weel, weel, I wish it may be sae," said the charitable Dame Heukbane, "but it disna look weel for a lassie like her to keep up a correspondence wi' ane o' the king's officers." "I'm no denying that," said Mrs.
Mailsetter; "haud awa bide aff, I tell you; this is nane o' your fourpenny cuts that we might make up the value to the post-office amang ourselves if ony mischance befell it; the postage is five-and-twenty shillings and here's an order frae the Secretary to forward it to the young gentleman by express, if he's no at hame. Na, na, sirs, bide aff; this maunna be roughly guided."
Ye see, Sir Arthur and Miss Wardour, and Mr. Lovel, suld hae dined at Monkbarns" "But, Mrs. Mailsetter," again interrupted Mrs. Heukbane, "will ye no be for sending awa this letter by express? there's our powny and our callant hae gane express for the office or now, and the powny hasna gane abune thirty mile the day; Jock was sorting him up as I came ower by." "Why, Mrs.
"Wast a ship-letter?" asked the Fornerina. "In troth wast." "It wad be frae the lieutenant then," replied the mistress of the rolls, somewhat disappointed "I never thought he wad hae lookit ower his shouther after her." "Od, here's another," quoth Mrs. Mailsetter. "A ship-letter post-mark, Sunderland." All rushed to seize it. "Na, na, leddies," said Mrs.
Heukbane; "he'll make as muckle about buying a forequarter o' lamb in August as about a back sey o' beef. Mailsetter, my dear. Ah, lasses! an ye had kend his brother as I did mony a time he wad slip in to see me wi' a brace o' wild deukes in his pouch, when my first gudeman was awa at the Falkirk tryst weel, weel we'se no speak o' that e'enow." "I winna say ony ill o'this Monkbarns," said Mrs.
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