"Aye, but they got mair than they bargained for! I just says to them, Aw says: 'Annie Miller, gang hame and tell yer faither to redd up his farm-yaird. Aye, and tell yer mither to wash yer heid ilka week instead o' twice a year!'" "But," I protested, "Annie gets her hair washed every Saturday night!" "And Aw get my neck washen ilka mornin'!" "All right, Jean, but you haven't told me what you said to Janet." "Jan! I soon settled her! I just says to her says Aw: 'Wha stailt the plums that mither brocht hame on Saturday nicht?'" "And did Jan steal the plums?" I asked. "She did that!" "And you never touched them?" "No the plums," she said frankly; "Aw wasna sic a thief as that. Aw only took a wee corner o' the fig toffee." I scratched my head thoughtfully. "This is a bonny racket, girls. I don't know what to make of it. I think you'll better make it up." "Never!" cried Jean stoutly. "Ellen and Gladys and me's never to speak to them again; are'n we no, Ellen?" "Never!" cried Ellen. "No if they were to gang doon on their bended knees!" declared Gladys. "That's awkward for you, Jean," I said. "Do you mean to tell me that you won't speak to Jan when you are sleeping together?" "Aw'll just gie her a dig in the ribs wi' my elbow to mak her lie ower, but Aw'll no open my mooth." "And what if your mother says to you: 'Jean, tell Janet to feed the hens?'" "Aw'll just hand her the corn-dish and point to the henhoose." "And put oot my tongue at her," she added. "Jean," I said suddenly, "I'll bet you a shilling that you are speaking to Jan and Annie by to-morrow night at four." "Aw dinna hae a shillin'," she said ruefully, "but Aw bet ye a hapenny Aw'm no!" * * * To-night Jean came running up to me when school was dismissed. "Gie's my hapenny!" she cried; "Aw didna speak to Annie and Janet a' day!" "Honest?" "It's true," said Ellen, "isn't it Gladys?" "Then I'll pay up my debt of honour," I said, and I held out a ha'penny. Jean took it, and then she set off round the steading in great haste. She returned with her arms round Janet and Annie. "Aw got Bets Burnett to tell them aboot the ha'penny," she confessed, "and to speer them no to speak to me a' day and Aw wud gie them a bit o' sugarelly." "You scheming besom!" I cried and I laid her on my bothy table and sat on her. "Eh! Jean!" said Gladys, "if only ye had said ye wud bet a shillin'!" "Dear me," I said hastily, "when I come to think of it I did bet a shilling. Jean bet a hapenny, but I distinctly remember saying that I was betting a shilling. Here you are, Jean!" but Jean refused it with indignation. Not one of them would touch it. "Right!" I cried. "I'm going down to get cigarettes. Who's coming?" I spent a shilling on sweets and chocolate. No one would accept a single sweetie. "I'll give myself toothache if I eat them," I said. They paid no heed.