I went on, therefore, to say, in a tone as indifferent as I could command, "Well, goodwife, I see you will believe no good of this Chrystal of yours, till he comes back and buys a good farm on the estate, and makes you his housekeeper." The old woman dropped her thread, folded her hands, as she looked up to heaven with a face of apprehension.

"The Lord," she exclaimed, "forbid! The Lord in His mercy forbid! O sir! if you really know this unlucky man, persuade him to settle where folk ken the good that you say he has come to, and dinna ken the evil of his former days.

He used to be proud enough--O dinna let him come here, even for his own sake.

He used once to have some pride." Here she once more drew the wheel close to her, and began to pull at the flax with both hands.

"Dinna let him come here, to be looked down upon by ony that may be left of his auld reiving companions, and to see the decent folk that he looked over his nose at look over their noses at him, baith at kirk and market.