and recalled to memory the departed splendours of
the ill-fated tankard. Quietly dashing, however, the tear of sorrow
aside, both her person and spirit assumed the lofty attitude of
determined vengeance; and, "_she'll_ rue this," she now went on, "if
there be ony law or justice in the kingdom. It'll be a dear jug to
_her_, or my name's no what it is."

Equally indignant with his wife at the assault and battery committed by
the Callenders, but less talkative, John sat quietly ruminating on the
events of the evening, and, anon, still continuing to raise his hand, at
intervals, to his mangled countenance. With the same taciturnity, he
subsequently assisted Mrs. Anderson to throw the collected fragments of
the broken dishes into a hamper, and to carry and deposit said hamper in
an adjoining closet, where, it was determined, they should be carefully
kept as evidence of the extent of the damage which had been sustained.

In the meantime, neither Mrs. Thomas Callender nor Mr. Thomas Callender
felt by any means at ease respecting the crockery catastrophe. Although
feeling that it was a mere casualty of war, and an unforeseen and
unpremeditated result of a fair and equal contest, they yet could not
help entertaining some vague apprehension for the consequences. They
felt, in short, that it might be made a question whether they were not
liable for the damage done, seeing that they had intruded themselves
into their neighbour's house, where they had no right to go. It was
under some such awkward fear as this that Mr. Callender, who had also
obtained an evasive account of the cause of quarrel, said, with an
unusually long and grave face, to his wife, on their gaining their own
house, and holding, at the same time, a handkerchief to his still
bleeding and now greatly swollen proboscis--

"Yon was a deevil o' a stramash, Mirran. I never heard the like o't. It
was awfu'. I think I hear the noise o' the crashing plates and bowls in
my lugs yet."

"Deil may care! Let them tak it!" replied Mrs. Callender, endeavouring
to assume a disregard of consequences, which she was evidently very far
from feeling. "She was aye owre vain o' her crockery; so that better
couldna happen her."

"Ay," replied her husband; "but yon smashing o't was rather a serious
business."

"It was just music to my lugs, then," said Mrs. Callender, boldly.

"Maybe," rejoined her husband, "but I doot we'll hae to pay the piper.
They'll try't ony way, I'm jalousi