p her arms in horror and cry
that she had brushed that coat just five minutes ago; nor did she count
the treasured "dottels" on the mantelpiece to discover how many pipes he
had smoked since morning; nor point out that he had stepped over the
door-mat; nor line her shelves with the new _Mentor_; nor give him up
his foot for sitting half the night with patients who could not pay--in
short, he knew the ways of the limmers, and Maggy Ann was a jewel. But
it had taken him a dozen years to bring her to this perfection, and well
he knew that the curse of Eve, as he called the rage for the duster,
slumbered in her rather than was extinguished. With the volcanic Grizel
in the house, Maggy Ann would once more burst into flame, and the
horrified doctor looked to right of him, to left of him, before him and
behind him, and everywhere he seemed to see two new brooms bearing down.
No, the brat, he would not have her; the besom, why did she bother him;
the witches take her, for putting the idea into his head, nailing it
into his head indeed. But nevertheless he was forever urging other
people to adopt her, assuring them that they would find her a treasure,
and even shaking his staff at them when they refused; and he was so
uneasy if he did not hear of her several times a day that he made
Monypenny the way to and from everywhere, so that he might drop into
artful talk with those who had seen her last. Corp, accordingly, was not
surprised at his "How is Grizel?" now, and he answered, between two
spits, "She's fine; she gave me this."

It was one of the Painted Lady's silver candlesticks, and the doctor
asked sharply why Grizel had given it to him.

"She said because she liked me," Corp replied, wonderingly. "She brought
it to my auntie's door soon after I loused, and put it into my hand: ay,
and she had a blue shawl, and she telled me to give it to Gavinia,
because she liked her too."

"What else did she say?"

Corp tried to think. "I said, 'This cows, Grizel, but thank you
kindly,'" he answered, much pleased with his effort of memory, but the
doctor interrupted him rudely. "Nobody wants to hear what you said, you
dottrel; what more did she say?" And thus encouraged Corp remembered
that she had said she hoped he would not forget her. "What for should I
forget her when I see her ilka day?" he asked, and was probably about to
divulge that this was his reply to her, but without waiting for more,
McQueen turned his beast's head and dro