"No one else does so catch us,--nobody else ever comes. Heigho!" and the
young lady sighed very heartily. "Patience, patience; my day is coming,
and then yours, my sister," replied Randal, with genuine pity, as he
gazed upon what a little care could have trained into so fair a flower,
and what now looked so like a weed.

Here Mrs. Leslie, in a state of intense excitement--having rushed through
the parlour, leaving a fragment of her gown between the yawning brass of
the never-mended Brummagem work-table--tore across the hall, whirled out
of the door, scattering the chickens to the right and left, and clutched
hold of Randal in her motherly embrace. "La, how you do shake my
nerves," she cried, after giving him a most hasty and uncomfortable kiss.
"And you are hungry too, and nothing in the house but cold mutton!
Jenny, Jenny, I say, Jenny! Juliet, have you seen Jenny? Where's Jenny?
Out with the odd man, I'll be bound."

"I am not hungry, Mother," said Randal; "I wish for nothing but tea."
Juliet, scrambling up her hair, darted into the house to prepare the tea,
and also to "tidy herself." She dearly loved her fine brother, but she
was greatly in awe of him.

Randal seated himself on the broken pales. "Take care they don't come
down," said Mr. Leslie, with some anxiety.

"Oh, Sir, I am very light; nothing comes down with me." The pigs stared
up, and grunted in amaze at the stranger. "Mother," said the young man,
detaining Mrs. Leslie, who wanted to set off in chase of Jenny, "Mother,
you should not let Oliver associate with those village boors. It is time
to think of a profession for him."