in some things, and saw at once how ridiculous it would be to treat
the affair as of importance. So, the next time he saw David, he
addressed him half jocularly:

"Weel, Dawvid, you an' the mistress hae been haein' a bit o' a
dispute thegither, eh?"

"Weel, sir, we warna a'thegither o' ae min'," said David, with a
smile.

"Weel, weel, we maun humour her, ye ken, or it may be the waur for
us a', ye ken." And the laird nodded with humorous significance.

"I'm sure I sud be glaid, sir; but this is no sma' maitter to me an'
my Maggie, for we're jist gettin' food for the verra sowl, sir, frae
him an' his beuks."

"Cudna ye be content wi the beuks wi'out the man, Dawvid?"

"We sud mak' but sma' progress, sir, that get."

The laird began to be a little nettled himself at David's stiffness
about such a small matter, and held his peace. David resumed:

"Besides, sir, that's a maitter for the young man to sattle, an' no
for me. It wad ill become me, efter a' he's dune for us, to steek
the door in's face. Na, na; as lang's I hae a door to haud open,
it's no to be steekit to him."

"Efter a', the door's mine, Dawvid," said the laird.