Page:Scott - Tales of my Landlord - 3rd series, vol. 1 - 1819.djvu/330

320 legion, remained in the rear, ready to support her in case of necessity. Both hoped to protract the discovery of what had happened—the mother by interposing her bustling person betwixt Mr Girder and the fire, and the daughter by the extreme cordiality with which she received the minister and her husband, and the anxious fears which she expressed lest they should have "gotten cauld."

"Cauld?" quoth the husband surlily, for he was not of that class of lords and masters whose wives are viceroys over them—"we'll be cauld aneugh, I think, if ye dinna let us in to the fire."

And so saying, he burst his way through both lines of defence; and, as he had a careful eye over his property of every kind, he perceived at one glance the absence of the spit with its savoury burthen. "What the de'il, woman"

"Fye for shame!" exclaimed both the women; "and before Mr Bide-the-bent!"