your master, to shiver in the cold in such a cursed raw rainy day as this is? I wonder you dare look me in the face after such unpardonable conduct. Look at that grate, sir, and tell me if you are not ashamed at allowing me to sit for an hour before six black cinders-for devil a one more is there; and pray, let me hear what lie you have at hand to excuse your neglect."

"It is not my fault," said William, in a grumbling tone; "I can't make coals, and John Purdie forgot to bring them."

"Don't tell me any of your stories about John Purdie; what is John Purdie to me? and have you the cursed effrontery to tell me that you can't make coals, and presume to mutter in that manner? If I served you right, sir, I would turn you out of my house this moment."

William, seeing that he had rather gone too far, now said that the coals were all done, but that he would borrow a bucketful from their neighbour Mr Cochrane.

"Borrow from the devil!" exclaimed the Bow almost frantic Sir Thomas. "What do you mean, sir, by supposing that Sir Thomas Lennox is to go like a beggar borrowing coals all round the country? The first of you that I find doing such a thing shall be turned off that very instant. Borrow coals indeed! and from that fellow too! Pray," he continued, turning again to William, "whose fault is it that there are no coals in the house? If this John Purdie is not more regular in bringing them, I shall dismiss the careless rascal. Let me know

when the scoundrel comes."

But as William's conscience gave him a few twinges for allowing John Purdie to be abused for a fault which he had not committed, he ventured a remark in his favour. "John Purdie, sir, is a very decent man, and it's not often that he forgets any orders; but I'm thinking it's not his fault this time; it's Martha's business to notice when the coals are nearly done; but she let them run out, and did not tell Mrs Purdie till

this morning, and John has eight miles to go for them; so you see, sir, he will not be here for a good while yet."

"What the mischief!" said the baronet, "is the family to sit shivering for a whole day because a stupid ass of a cook forgets her duty? Send Mistress Martha to me, and let me hear what the jade has to say for herself."

William retired to bring Martha into her master's presence, but, far from being elated with the unexpected honour, this Queen of Spits showed very little alacrity in obeying the summons. 'My master wants you," said William, on entering the kitchen.

"What does he want wi' me ?" inquired Martha, who was at this moment in the act of running a turkey through the body.

"He wants to hear why you did not mind to bid John Purdie bring coals before the rest were done."

"And wha the deevil tellt him I didna bid him bring coals?"

"I was made to tell him, or he would have abused John Purdie like a pickpocket."

"Ye had little to do, I think, Maister Willie; ye might just hae let John tak the dirdum; feint the waur would he hae been o't; it would hae been wiser like than carrying clashes o' your neebor servants up the stair. But, my fegs! since ye were sae keen o' clavering, ye might hae tellt him that ye were last in the coal-hole yoursell; but, my faith! ye like weel to keep the paiks aff your ain skin. See, my man, if I'm no upsides wi' you some day yet, for clashing about me!"

"Weel, weel, never mind; let me take a bit of your fire, and I'll try if that will quiet him."

"Deil ae bit shall ye get o' my fire if Sir Thomas himsell was sitting wi' the drap at his nose; the man's gane wud, to ask sic a thing when there's a roast o' beef there that will tak' three gude hours afore it be ready, forbye a turkey; and ye ken very weel that they can eat naething that's a wee

thought red, far less raw. Na, na! ye's no get nae fire frae me. Oh, man, if ye had had a mouthful o' sense, ye would hae gane for a backiefu' frae the Cochranes; but I ne'er saw ane o' your kind worth ca'ing out o' a kail-yard."

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Well, and did I not tell Sir Thomas that I would go in for some to the Cochranes? and he forbade me on no account to go there for coals; and he told me he would turn the first of us to the door that dared to go, contrary to his orders."

"Ye weel deserved that, when ye were sic a gouk as to tell him onything about the matter. Could ye no hae borrowed the coals quietly, and ta'en them in? it would ne'er hae come in his head to speer where ye got them."

"And what was I to say for not mending the fire sooner ?"

"Od, man, ye're no worth your meat, that canna keep a lee or twa aye ready; ye ken they're aye needed. Could ye no hae laid the wyte on Mary, for taking your