It micht hae come til a far wysser heid nor mine, but seein' it did come to mine, it wad luik as gien the Lord micht hae pitten' t' there--to the comfort an' consolation o' ane,'at, gien she be a gowk, is muckle the same as the Lord made her wi' 's ain bliss-it han'.

Sae, quo' I, Is' jist submit the thing to the laird.

He'll sune discern whether it be frae the Lord or mysel'!" "Say on, Grizzie," returned the laird, when again she paused.

"It sud surprise nane to get a message frae the Lord by the mou' o' ane o' his handmaidens." "Weel, it's this, laird .-- I hae often been i' the gran' drawin' room, when ye wad be lattin' the yoong laird, or somebody or anither ye wantit to be special til, see the bonny things ye hae sic a fouth o' i' the caibnets again the wa's; an' I hae aye h'ard ye say o' ane o' them--yon bonny little horsie, ye ken,'at they say the auld captain,'at 's no laid yet, gied to yer gran'father--I hae aye h'ard ye say o' that,'at hoo it was solid silver--'SAID TO BE,' ye wad aye tack to the tail o' 't." "True! true!" said the laird, a hopeful gleam beginning to break upon his darkness.
"We'll, ye see, laird," Grizzie went on, "I'm no sic a born idiot as think ye wad set the possession o' sic a playock again the yoong laird's edication; sae ye maun hae some rizzon for no meltin' 't doon--seem' siller maun aye be worth siller,--an' gowd, gien there be eneuch o' 't.

Sae, like the minister, I come to the conclusion--But I hae yer leave, laird, to speyk ?" "Gang on, gang on, Grizzie," said the laird, almost eagerly.
"Weel, laird--I winna say FEART, for I never saw yer lairdship" -- she had got into the way of saying LORDSHIP, and now not unfrequently said LAIRDSHIP!--"feart afore bull or bully, but I cud weel believe ye wadna willin'ly anger ane 'at the Lord lats gang up and doon upo' the earth, whan he wad be far better intil't, ristin' in 's grave till the resurrection--only he was never ane o' the sancts! But anent that, michtna ye jist ca' to min', laird,'at a gi'en gift's yer ain, to du wi' what ye like; an' I wad na heed man, no to say a cratur 'at belangs richtly to nae warl' ava','at wad play the bairn, an' want back what he had gi'en.