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and awa to the laird’s house, when, ringing the bell, the door was opened by the lady, who, seeing Janet so pit- iful looking, she says—“ Keep us a’ this day, is there onything wrang at hame that ye hae come here sae early in the morning ? ” “ Wrang,” quo’ Janet, dichtin’ her een wi’ the tail o’ her apron, “ A’s wrang thegither, my leddy. Isna oor Habbie deid ! ” “ Habbie deid ! ” quo’ the lady in surprise. “ A-weel-wat is he, my leddy,” quo’Janet, “and a sair trial it is to me, my leddy ; for there’s no so muckle in the house this morning, as would feed a sparrow; and whaur to get onything I’m sure I dinna ken. Oh, dear ! oh, dear ! that ever I should come to this o’t.” “Compose yourself,” quo’ the leddy, “And come your wa’s ben, and we’se see what can be done.” Sae, in gangs Janet wi’ the lady, and gets a basket wi’ some biscuits and speerits, and ither articles needfu’ for sic an occasion ; and thanking the lady for her kindness, comes awa hame to Habbie fu’ blythely, when doon they sat, nor did they rise till they made an end o’ the contents o’ the basket. Noo, as the auld sang says, the mair ye drink, the drier ye turn, for they were nae sooner dune than Habbie says—“ Losh, Janet, that’s real guid ; can ye no get some mair o’t?” “ Na, na,” quo’Janet, “I hae played my turn already ; it’s your turn noo.” “Oh, very weel,” quo’ Habbie, “ If it’s my turn noo, ye maun jist be deid next.” “’Ods, I hae nae objections,” quo’ she, “sae awa’ ye gang, and let’s see what ye can do.” Weel, awa’ gangs Habbie, and meeting the laird jist coming hame frae a hunting party, he says—“ This is a fine day laird.” “A fine day, Habby,” quo’ the laird ; “ Hoo’s a wi’ ye ? are ye no coming up to play us a spring on the pipes the nicht?” “It wadna look very weel, laird, for me to be playing on the pipes at your house, and my ain wife lying a corpse at hame.” “ What ! is Janet deid?” quo’ the laird. “Atweel is she,” quo’ Habbie, “And I’m sure it couldna’ ha’e happened at a waur time, for there’s neither meat nor siller in the house, and hoo to get her decently aneath the yird, I’m sure I dinna ken.” “Dinna vex yoursel’ about that,” quo’ the laird, gi’en him some money; “There’s a trifle for you.” Habbie thanked the laird for his kindness, bade him guid day, and cam hame geyan weel pleased wi’ what he had gotten, and sends Janet oot wi’ the bottle to get mair whisky to carry on the spree. In the meantime, hame gangs the
