Page:Watty and May, or, The wife reclaimed.pdf/19

19 laird, whaur the first thing that he heard was, that Habhie Simpson was deid. “ Na, na,” quo’ he, “ it’s no Habbie its only Janet.” “ It’s Habbie,” quo’ the lady ; “ Wasna Janet here this morning herseP and tell’t me? and didna she get awa’ some speerits and biscuits, as she said there was nothing in the house?” “And didna I meet Habbie just as I was coming hame, when he tell’t me that Janet was died. But I see hoo it is—they are at their auld tricks again. But come, we’ll awa’ to Habbie’s, and see what they’re about.” In the meantime, Habbie and Janet are fuddlin’ in fine style, and lauchin’ heartily at the way ta’en to raise the wind, when Janet cries—“Guid preserve us, Habbie, what’s to be dune noo ! I declare if that’s no the laird and the leddy, and they’re coming straucht here ! ” “I dinna ken,” quo’ Habbie, “what to do unless we are baith deid.” Sae in the bed they gaed, and they were nae sooner doon, than the laird and lady cam in, and seeing Habbie and Janet in bed, he says—“Waesme! isna that awfu to see? The man and wife baith deid ! But I’d gi’e five shillings this moment to ken which o’ the twa dee’t first.” The words were nae sooner oot o’ his mouth than up jumps Habbie, crying— “ It was me, laird ; noo gie me the five shillings.” It is needless to add that the laird gaed Habbie the money, and mony a hearty laugh he had when he thought on the way Habbie and his wife had ta’en to 'Raise the Wind.'