judge from his
last communication, and as Sir Patrick was a proud man, and could not
endure to be thwarted in his plans, the best course he could adopt was,
simply, to pay his rent, and quit the farm at Martinmas.

To these proposals the old farmer demurred. "I have always paid my rent
on rent-day," said he; "I have made many improvements upon the farm to
enable me to pay that rent; and for the steading, though I am not bound
to keep it in repair, by building a new barn and cart-sheds, at my own
expense, I have made it worth at least sixty pounds more than it was at
the beginning of the tack. Now," continued he, "I can see no reason the
laird can have for being _irritated_ at me for endeavouring to keep
possession of the farm on which I was born, and on which I have lived
till I am growing an old man."

"You may do as you please," said Mr. Goosequill, gravely--"only I have
warned you; and, if you are determined to persist, you may save yourself
the trouble of writing; for I have Sir Patrick's authority for saying
that he is coming down to Scotland to settle these matters himself."

Having thus counselled, he adjourned to Nettlebank, where he no doubt
counselled more; but through this labyrinth we shall not follow him.
Only Andrew Sharp, who again brought out his horse, heard him say, as he
was about to depart, "Well, I think I have the old scrub for the new
barn, and, in the meantime, Mr. Gilbert, who is really a smart lad, must
try to do a little."

"Fear not for him," rejoined the other; "he knows what he is working
for--Miss Grizzy's fair face is worth wanting an hour's sleep for ony
time."

Many of our readers will still recollect the disastrous harvest of 1817:
October was begun before harvest-work commenced at all; and, after it
did commence, day after day the rain poured down as if the sky had been
an ocean supported by a sieve. It was after an evening of storm and
darkness had succeeded to one of these distressing days, that a stranger
arrived at Nettlebank, and requested lodgings for the night. The servant
girl, who opened the door, said, "She wouldna let him in, but she would
tell her master." Her master accordingly came, and, without ceremony,
told him to begone, for he harboured no wandering vagabonds about his
_town_.

The stranger attempted to plead his ignorance of the country and the
darkness of the night, as excuses for being allowed to remain; but Mr.
Black cut him short, by telling him, in a to