We a' ken ye for a dacent, carefu' spoken chield, weel eneugh, Joseph, sae ye needna be aye mindin' folk o't. An' losh! What gars ye be sae terrible mim? There's a time to keep yer jaws steekit, we a' ken that, but there's a time to let on as weel! Sae out wi't a' man!' 'Ye maun out wi't yersel, Mester Prittie! For De'il tak me, (but the Lord forgie me for swearin'! tho' efter a' it's but the De'il's name I'm makin' a bauchil o',) gin I ken what ye're efter, wi' yer winkin's an' yer hirselin's o' the shouther. Juist say what's yer wull, Mester Prittie, an' gin a puir chield can pleesure ye I'se do't. Aye premeesin' ye ken, 'at it's the thing a gude christian an' an honest man may lawfully perform.' 'Ou ay! A' lawfu' eneugh, Joseph! What tak ye me for, laddie? gin the Queen can lippen to me about her mails, it's surely a' safe for Joseph Smiley wi' his bits o' trokes and clashes. But come in by!' Ebenezer had turned round on accosting Joseph, and had been retracing his steps ever since. They were now in front of the Post Office, and Ebenezer unlocking the door invited Joseph to enter, that they might finish their conversation without fear of interruption.' 'An' noo, Joseph, what's a' about the minister? an' what hae ye to say ower't?' 'What about the minister?--forby 'at he has the cauld? Mistress Sangster fell in a burn, an' he beut to pu' her out; an' she bein' a muckle denty wife, an' rael hefty, he coupet in himsel an' got sair droukit, an' noo he's lyin' wi' the cauld. I see sma' grundlfor clashes there.' Hoot! ye're no sae simple as ye wad let on! An' it diz na look weel o' ye, Joseph, bein' sae terrible keen to gar folk think ye ken naething. Ye'll hae them jalousin' ye had a finger intil't yersel, my man. Wha's acht yon bairn o' the minister's?' 'I ken naething mair about it nor ither folk! Ye ken as weel as me what he said about it himsel'.' 'An' do ye ken 'at folk says it's Tibbie Tirpie's bairn, an' that he's its faither?' I hae heard tell 'at folk was sayin' that; but we a' ken there's folk e'y warld wad say onything, an' the dafter it was, the mair they'd haud til't. Do ye believe it yersel', Mester Prittie?' Weel! that's juist what I dinna ken! Whiles, whan I think o' a' the minister has dune an' come through, I canna believe it ava'; but than, what a' body says maun hae something intil 't, an' they hae sae mony sma' things to lay thegither, a body canna weel help misdoubtin' but there may be something intil 't. An' ye ken, efter a', the flesh is but wake!' 'Hech sirse, ay! rael wake,' sighed Joseph, with a most melancholy swing of the head. 'Rael wake! we hae Scriptur for that. The apostle himself fand the evil praisent with him, whan he maist wanted to do gude, an' _he_ was gude by ordnar. It's little winder gin the lave gangs wrang whiles. It's juist a dispensation, as ane micht say, or a kind o' warnin' to folk no to be ower sure an' sotten up i' their ain gudeness. Weel I wat we're wake craiters!'