From the still-room, we went to dinner. Afterward, we visited the dairy and poultry yard, admired the beautiful cows and the fine broods of ducks and fowls and made friends with two or three great bloodhounds and an immense mastiff, which were Mrs. Deborah's special pets. I was at once adopted and taken possession of by a queer little long-bodied short-legged rough terrier, of a color between grey and blue. "Those are Scottish dogs and come from one of the Western Isles," said Mrs. Deborah. "There, take him for your own if you like dogs, Lucy Corbet, only you must teach him to let Sister Philippa's cats alone." "If you please, Mum, the young lady can teach him with one word!" said the old Scotch woman who had the principal charge of the poultry. "Thae dogs are gey gleg at the uptak." "I fear my niece does not understand Scotch!" remarked Mrs. Deborah. "Oh yes! She means that such dogs are quick to learn!" said I, guessing the old woman's meaning. I always could understand dialects of all sorts and confess to being fond of them. "I'm thinking the leddy is gleg at the uptak her-sell!" said Elsie with a smile. "She's no like the folk about her. I'm thinking I'll just gang hame and tak up my ain hoose in the spring, Mrs. Deborah. I coma thoh to bide wi' folk that canna speak plain." This was past me, gleg as I might be, and as we walked away, I asked Mrs. Deborah what she meant. "She means that she will go home and set up housekeeping in the spring, because she cannot endure to stay with people who cannot understand," answered Mrs. Deborah. "But I am not alarmed. She has said the same thing for fifty years at least. She is a good creature and very faithful, but I have to stand between her and the other servants who hate her for being Scotch, and dread her because they say she knows more than she ought, and never goes to church." "Why does she not go to church?" I asked. "Because she is a Presbyterian, child." I was not much the wiser because I did not know what a Presbyterian was at that time. Afterward I found out that Elsie was a member of the National Church or Kirk as they call it of Scotland, who have a great dislike to Episcopacy—no great wonder either. I am not fond of plum pudding, but if any one were to try to drive it down my throat with a bayonet, I think I should like it still less. In the afternoon the wagon arrived with our luggage and all Mrs. Deborah's purchases, including the harpsichord, which was set up in the little red parlor, and proved to have borne the journey very well. A part of the next day was spent in unpacking our various possessions and setting them in order.