But Meg, without deigning farther reply, flourished around her head the hearth-broom, which she had been employing to its more legitimate purpose, when disturbed in her housewifery by Captain MacTurk.
"I ken your errand weel eneugh, Captain--and I ken yoursell.

Ye are ane of the folk that gang about yonder setting folk by the lugs, as callants set their collies to fight.

But ye sall come to nae lodger o' mine, let a-be Maister Tirl, wi' ony sic ungodly errand; for I am ane that will keep God's peace and the King's within my dwelling." So saying, and in explicit token of her peaceable intentions, she again flourished her broom.
The veteran instinctively threw himself under Saint George's guard, and drew two paces back, exclaiming, "That the woman was either mad, or as drunk as whisky could make her;" an alternative which afforded Meg so little satisfaction, that she fairly rushed on her retiring adversary, and began to use her weapon to fell purpose.
"Me drunk, ye scandalous blackguard!" (a blow with the broom interposed as parenthesis,) "me, that am fasting from all but sin and bohea!" (another whack.) The Captain, swearing, exclaiming, and parrying, caught the blows as they fell, showing much dexterity in single-stick.

The people began to gather; and how long his gallantry might have maintained itself against the spirit of self-defence and revenge, must be left uncertain, for the arrival of Tyrrel, returned from a short walk, put a period to the contest.
Meg, who had a great respect for her guest, began to feel ashamed of her own violence, and slunk into the house; observing, however, that she trewed she had made her hearth-broom and the auld heathen's pow right weel acquainted.

The tranquillity which ensued upon her departure, gave Tyrrel an opportunity to ask the Captain, whom he at length recognised, the meaning of this singular affray, and whether the visit was intended for him; to which the veteran replied very discomposedly, that "he should have known that long enough ago, if he had had decent people to open his door, and answer a civil question, instead of a flyting madwoman, who was worse than an eagle," he said, "or a mastiff-bitch, or a she-bear, or any other female beast in the creation." Half suspecting his errand, and desirous to avoid unnecessary notoriety, Tyrrel, as he showed the Captain to the parlour, which he called his own, entreated him to excuse the rudeness of his landlady, and to pass from the topic to that which had procured him the honour of this visit.
"And you are right, my good Master Tyrrel," said the Captain, pulling down the sleeves of his coat, adjusting his handkerchief and breast-ruffle, and endeavouring to recover the composure of manner becoming his mission, but still adverting indignantly to the usage he had received--"By Cot! if she had but been a man, if it were the King himself--However, Mr.Tyrrel, I am come on a civil errand--and very civilly I have been treated--the auld bitch should be set in the stocks, and be tamned!--My friend, Sir Bingo--By Cot! I shall never forget that woman's insolence--if there be a constable or a cat-o'-nine-tails within ten miles"---- "I perceive, Captain," said Tyrrel, "that you are too much disturbed at this moment to enter upon the business which has brought you here--if you will step into my bedroom, and make use of some cold water and a towel, it will give you the time to compose yourself a little." "I shall do no such thing, Mr.Tyrrel," answered the Captain, snappishly; "I do not want to be composed at all, and I do not want to stay in this house a minute longer than to do my errand to you on my friend's behalf--And as for this tamned woman Dods"---- "You will in that case forgive my interrupting you, Captain MacTurk, as I presume your errand to me can have no reference to this strange quarrel with my landlady, with which I have nothing to"---- "And if I thought that it had, sir," said the Captain, interrupting Tyrrel in his turn, "you should have given me satisfaction before you was a quarter of an hour older--Oh, I would give five pounds to the pretty fellow that would say, Captain MacTurk, the woman did right!" "I certainly will not be that person you wish for, Captain," replied Tyrrel, "because I really do not know who was in the right or wrong; but I am certainly sorry that you should have met with ill usage, when your purpose was to visit me." "Well, sir, if you are concerned," said the man of peace, snappishly, "so am I, and there is an end of it .-- And touching my errand to you--you cannot have forgotten that you treated my friend, Sir Bingo Binks, with singular incivility ?" "I recollect nothing of the kind, Captain," replied Tyrrel.