lly, this good creature
starting up, and rushing here, as you say, as fast as her feet can carry
her--it's impossible to resist it! I positively think I must see
Mrs. Inchbare. With my active habits, this imprisonment to my room is
dreadful. I can neither sleep nor read. Any thing, Hopkins, to divert my
mind from myself: It's easy to get rid of her if she is too much for me.
Send her up."

Mrs. Inchbare made her appearance, courtesying deferentially; amazed at
the condescension which admitted her within the hallowed precincts of
Lady Lundie's room.

"Take a chair," said her ladyship, graciously. "I am suffering from
illness, as you perceive."

"My certie! sick or well, yer leddyship's a braw sight to see!" returned
Mrs. Inchbare profoundly impressed by the elegant costume which illness
assumes when illness appears in the regions of high life.

"I am far from being in a fit state to receive any body," proceeded Lady
Lundie. "But I had a motive for wishing to speak to you when you next
came to my house. I failed to treat a proposal you made to me, a short
time since, in a friendly and neighborly way. I beg you to understand
that I regret having forgotten the consideration due from a person in
my position to a person in yours. I am obliged to say this under very
unusual circumstances," added her ladyship, with a glance round her
magnificent bedroom, "through your unexpected promptitude in favoring me
with a call. You have lost no time, Mrs. Inchbare, in profiting by the
message which I had the pleasure of sending to you."

"Eh, my leddy, I wasna' that sure (yer leddyship having ance changed yer
mind) but that ye might e'en change again if I failed to strike, as they
say, while the iron's het. I crave yer pardon, I'm sure, if I ha'
been ower hasty. The pride o' my hairt's in my powltry--and the black
Spaniards' (as they ca' them) are a sair temptation to me to break the
tenth commandment, sae lang as they're a' in yer leddyship's possession,
and nane o' them in mine."

"I am shocked to hear that I have been the innocent cause of your
falling into temptation, Mrs. Inchbare! Make your proposal--and I shall
be happy to meet it, if I can."

"I must e'en be content wi' what yer leddyship will condescend on. A
haitch o' eggs if I can come by naething else."

"There is something else you would prefer to a hatch of eggs?"

"I wad prefer," said Mrs. Inchbare, modestly, "a cock and twa pullets."

"Open the case on the tab