t ye're wearin, that made ye look mair like a tauty bogle
than a Christian man."

Thomas merely smiled at these remarks, and made no reply in words.

Thus far, then, Mrs. Callender's plot had gone on swimmingly. There
only wanted now her husband's appearance in the garden in his new red
nightcap; where the latter could not but be seen by her rival, to
complete her triumph--and this satisfaction she was not long denied.
Thomas, at her suggestion, warily and cautiously urged however,
instantly took the field in his new nightcap; and the result was as
complete and decisive as the heart of a woman, in Mrs. Callender's
circumstances, could desire. Mrs. Anderson saw the nightcap, guessed the
cause of its appearance, and resolved to be avenged. In that moment,
when her sight was blasted, her pride humbled, and her spirits roused,
which they were all at one and the same time by the vision of Thomas
Callender's new red nightcap, she resolved on getting her husband to
strike the striped cap, and mount one of precisely the same
description--better if possible, but she was not sure if this could be
had.

Now, on prevailing on _her_ husband to submit to the acquisition of
another new nightcap, Mrs. Anderson had a much more difficult task to
perform than her rival; for the cap that John was already provided with,
unlike Thomas's, was not a week out of the shop, and no earthly good
reason, one would think, could therefore be urged, why he should so soon
get another. But what will not woman's wit accomplish? Anything! As
proof of this, if proof were wanted, we need only mention that Mrs.
Anderson _did_ succeed in this delicate and difficult negotiation, and
prevailed upon John, first, to allow her to go into Glasgow to buy him a
new red nightcap, and to promise to wear it when it should be bought.
How she accomplished this--what sort of reasoning she employed--we know
not; but certain it is that it was done. Thus fully warranted, eagerly
and cleverly did Mrs. Anderson, on the instant, prepare to execute the
mission to which this warrant referred. In ten minutes she was dressed,
and, in one more was on her way to Glasgow to make the desiderated
purchase. Experiencing, of course, as little difficulty in effecting
this matter as her rival had done, Mrs. Anderson soon found herself in
possession of a red nightcap, as bright, every bit, as Mr. Callender's;
and this cap she had the happiness of drawing on the head of her
unconscious husba