itively all I can require to-night."

"I fear," said the Master, "your supper will be a poor one; I hear
the matter in discussion betwixt Caleb and Mysie. Poor Balderstone is
something deaf, amongst his other accomplishments, so that much of what
he means should be spoken aside is overheard by the whole audience, and
especially by those from whom he is most anxious to conceal his private
manoeuvres. Hark!"

They listened, and heard the old domestic's voice in conversation with
Mysie to the following effect:

"Just mak the best o't--make the besto't, woman; it's easy to put a fair
face on ony thing."

"But the auld brood-hen? She'll be as teugh as bow-strings and
bend-leather!"

"Say ye made a mistake--say ye made a mistake, Mysie," replied the
faithful seneschal, in a soothing and undertoned voice; "tak it a' on
yoursell; never let the credit o' the house suffer."

"But the brood-hen," remonstrated Mysie--"ou, she's sitting some gate
aneath the dais in the hall, and I am feared to gae in in the dark for
the dogle; and if I didna see the bogle, I could as ill see the hen, for
it's pit-mirk, and there's no another light in the house, save that very
blessed lamp whilk the Master has in his ain hand. And if I had the hen,
she's to pu', and to draw, and to dress; how can I do that, and them
sitting by the only fire we have?"

"Weel, weel, Mysie," said the butler, "bide ye there a wee, and I'll try
to get the lamp wiled away frae them."

Accordingly, Caleb Balderstone entered the apartment, little aware that
so much of his by-play had been audible there. "Well, Caleb, my old
friend, is there any chance of supper?" said the Master of Ravenswood.

"CHANCE of supper, your lordship?" said Caleb, with an emphasis of
strong scorn at the implied doubt. "How should there be ony question
of that, and us in your lordship's house? Chance of supper, indeed! But
ye'll no be for butcher-meat? There's walth o' fat poultry, ready either
for spit or brander. The fat capon, Mysie!" he added, calling out as
boldly as if such a thing had been in existence.

"Quite unnecessary," said Bucklaw, who deemed himself bound in courtesy
to relieve some part of the anxious butler's perplexity, "if you have
anything cold, or a morsel of bread."

"The best of bannocks!" exclaimed Caleb, much relieve; "and, for cauld
meat, a' that we hae is cauld eneugh,--how-beit, maist of the cauld meat
and pastry was gien to the poor folk after the ceremony o