which the shivers cut into more than twenty great holes. Over and
above all, the crock with the butter was, no one can tell how,
crackit, and the pickle lecking out, and mixing with the seerip of
the marmlet, spoilt the cheese. In short, at the object I beheld,
when the bocks was opened, I could have ta'en to the greeting; but I
behaved with more composity on the occasion, than the Doctor thought
it was in the power of nature to do. Howsomever, till I get a new
goun and other things, I am obliged to be a prisoner; and as the
Doctor does not like to go to the counting-house of the agents
without me, I know not what is yet to be the consequence of our
journey. But it would need to be something; for we pay four guineas
and a half a week for our dry lodgings, which is at a degree more
than the Doctor's whole stipend. As yet, for the cause of these
misfortunes, I can give you no account of London; but there is, as
everybody kens, little thrift in their housekeeping. We just buy
our tea by the quarter a pound, and our loaf sugar, broken in a
peper bag, by the pound, which would be a disgrace to a decent
family in Scotland; and when we order dinner, we get no more than
just serves, so that we have no cold meat if a stranger were coming
by chance, which makes an unco bare house. The servan lasses I
cannot abide; they dress better at their wark than ever I did on an
ordinaire week-day at the manse; and this very morning I saw madam,
the kitchen lass, mounted on a pair of pattens, washing the plain
stenes before the door; na, for that matter, a bare foot is not to
be seen within the four walls of London, at the least I have na seen
no such thing.

In the way of marketing, things are very good here, and considering,
not dear; but all is sold by the licht weight, only the fish are
awful; half a guinea for a cod's head, and no bigger than the drouds