seat to inquire, and soon returned with one me of the hue preferred.

"It's a grand cod, my leddie," roared the fishwoman.

"What do you think, Martha?" said her ladyship. "I fear it is too small to cora, and the head is so large, 'tis a great waste."

"Ye ne'er in your life saw a better cod," proceeded from below; "I left nae it's neebor in Portibelly. It's a grand cod; ye had as weel mak sure o't, for there will be nae mair fish passing the day."

"What does she ask for it?" inquired her ladyship.

"Three and sixpence, my lady," replied Martha

"Three and sixpence! 'tis a perfect imposition. Three and sixpence for a cod! Go down, Martha, and say I will give her a third; indeed, even that is too much but Sir Thomas cannot dine without fish. Let me see, Catherine, what is the third of three shillings and sixpence? We will first

divide the shillings; the third of three sh lings is one shilling, and the third of a si pence is-" But here her ladyship's calc lations were interrupted by the noise voices below.

"What kind o' a mistress maun ye ha that thinks a man's life is no worth nae ma than fourteenpence? My certie, but sl maun think little o' her ain gudeman, whe she values mine at sic a price. Fourtee pence for a gudeman's life! My faith! I': no sell mine for that, they're no sae plent And then her fickeries about white cod an grey cod, and big heads and lang tails There's nae wail o' heads and tails for th gentry, they maun just tak the fish as w catch them. But hark, your ladyship, continued the woman, raising her voice, and bawling up the stair," I'se gie ye't for twa white shillings, and ye hae a gude bargain. It's as caller a cod as e'er I carried; it was jumping in my basket no half an hour sine." I wish to heaven," cried Ellinor, who could no longer endure the riot, "I wish to

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baven it was jumping down your throat. Pray, Catherine, shut the door, I scarcely derstand a word I am reading. White and grey cod have been dancing before my eves this half hour. I would rather never taste fish than endure this purgatory in ying them."

"What the devil is the meaning of all this noise?" vociferated Sir Thomas, rushng from the dining-room into the lobby; "who is it that dares raise such a disturbance in my house?"

“Here, your honour,-here, your honour, cried the undaunted fishwoman. "Look, such a grand weel-grown cod, just ke yoursel. Your leddy says she'll only ge me fourteenpence, but I'm sure ye're a reasonable gentleman. I'll no be hard wi' ye neither; ye may hae't for twentypence, and it's weel wordy o't."

"The devil take

you

and your cod," exdaimed the enraged baronet. "Get out of my house, and leave me in peace." “The deevil tak me and my cod!—the

1

1

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f

deevil tak me and my cod-He's mair like to tak yoursel, that maks sae free wi' him. What kind o' way is that to speak to honest folk? The deevil tak me and my cod, indeed! He may tak me if I ever bring my fish again to ony sic market. Ye maun a' be queer folks, I think. Fourteenpence for a man's life, and to send us a' to the deevil into the bargain! My faith! if ye ne'er pree cod till Effie Banks bring it to ye, your mouth will water for a gude while. Here, lassie, help me up wi' my creel, and let's awa' to folk that hae mair discretion. I wad rather fling my fish into the sea again than gie them to sic gentles. I say, help me up wi' my creel. Hech, sirs! wha wad hae thought it, that onybody in their senses would offer only fourteenpence for a muckle cod? But it's a hard world."

"Put out that insolent woman," cried Sir Thomas; " and I order you never to admit her again, should she have the audacity to return; and on no account shall any of you dare to purchase fish from her. Fond

as I am of fish, I would rather want it than encourage such people." And having given way to his wrath, and issued his command, he returned to the dining-room to finish the perusal of a fracas in the House of Commons, which the fish debate had so unseasonably interrupted.

As soon as all was calm below, and the enraged fishwoman had quitted the premises, Martha returned to tell her ladyship that Sir Thomas had dismissed the woman just as she was coming to their terms. “I never knew anything half so foolish," exclaimed her ladyship, "to put "to put her away just at the moment when I might have got that nice cod perhaps for a shilling. really very provoking; and although it is all Sir Thomas's own fault, he will not grumble the less when there is no fish at table. I don't know what I shall do-"

Tis

"Oh, never mind," said Catherine, "it is still early, and I daresay there will be more fishwomen passing; and should there Rot, you know there is ling."