Malcolm

und of the latch of the street door

n frae the pump," she reflected, after a moment's pause; but, hearing no footstep along the passage to the kitchen, concluded-"It's no her, for

first glance looked kindly, to the second, cunning, and to the third, evil. To the last look the plumpness appeared unhealthy, suggesting a doughy indentation to the finger, and its colour also was pasty. Her deep set, black bright eyes, glowing from under the darkes

rn interrogatively,

ant a cast o' my cal

ower, my lee lane, afore the skreigh o' day. She's lyin' quaiet noo-verra quaiet-waitin' upo' Watty Wi

n, like yersel', I maun say

. But what for sud I no tak' it wi' composur'? We'll hae to tak' oor ain turn er lang, as composed as we hae

aid the woman; "but it 's no that muckl

ttered Miss Horn; but her

my trade canna help fa'in' amo' ill company whiles, for we're a' born in sin, an' brocht furth in ineequity, as the Buik says; in fac', it 's a' sin thegither: we come o' sin a

pleesur' till her livin'; an' ye ken weel eneuch

er I fa' asleep i' the lang mirk nichts be a hair better nor ane o'

manded Miss Horn,

be a howdie (midwife). I wad fain hae gotten a fancy oot o' my heid that's been

hat ever gethered aboot a sin stappit (stuffed) bowster!" crie

ey'll tak frae nane ither, for your temper's weel kent, an' little made o'; but it 's an ill faured thing to anger the howdie-sae muckle lies u

y by the consciousness of what lay on the other side of the ceiling above her head. "I wad as sune lat a cat intill the deid

he woman out-a proceeding which the latter, from the way in which she set her short, stout figure square on the floor, appeared ready to resist-or of herself aba

ind her, drew near to her mistress, bearing a narrative, commenced at the door, of all she had seen, heard

e tone of one who waited her answer in the affirmative

n-adding to herself in a wordle

wadna hae ye th

o' her, mem,"

rkyaird!" said her mistress,

was her warning, or where Barbara Catanach was at that very moment. Trusting to Jean's cunning, as well she might; she was in the dead chamber, and standing over the dead. She ha

be thankit! there it 's! It's there!-a wee darker, but the same-jist whaur I could ha' laid the pint o' my finger upo' 't i' the mirk!-Noo lat the worms eat it," she concluded, as sh

an inch, peeped out from the crack, and seeing the opposite door still shut, stepped out with a swift, noiseless swing of person and door simultaneously, closed the door behind her, stole down the stairs, and left the house. Not a board creaked, not a latch clicked as she