the conversation in her own house. "She's a discreet woman,
and may be as godly, too, as some that make mair wark about the elect."
Whether Mrs. Glibbans thought this had any allusion to herself is not
susceptible of legal proof; but she turned round and looked at their
"most kind hostess" with a sneer that might almost merit the appellation
of a snort. Mrs. Craig, however, pacified her, by proposing, "that,
before hearing the letter, they should take a dram of wine, or pree her
cherry bounce"--adding, "our maister likes a been house, and ye a' ken
that we are providing for a handling." The wine was accordingly served,
and, in due time, Miss Mally Glencairn edified and instructed the party
with the contents of Mrs. Pringle's letter.

LETTER XXVI

_Mrs. Pringle to Miss Mally Glencairn_

DEAR MISS MALLY--You will have heard, by the peppers, of the gret
hobbleshow heer aboot the queen's coming over contrary to the will of the
nation; and, that the king and parlement are so angry with her, that they
are going to put her away by giving to her a bill of divorce. The
Doctor, who has been searchin the Scriptures on the okashon, says this is
not in their poor, although she was found guilty of the fact; but I tell
him, that as the king and parlement of old took upon them to change our
religion, I do not see how they will be hampered now by the word of God.

You may well wonder that I have no ritten to you about the king, and what
he is like, but we have never got a sight of him at all, whilk is a gret
shame, paying so dear as we do for a king, who shurely should be a publik
man. But, we have seen her majesty, who stays not far from our house
heer in Baker Street, in dry lodgings, which, I am creditably informed,
she is obligated to pay for by the week, for nobody will trust her; so
you see what it is, Miss Mally, to have a light character. Poor woman,
they say she might have been going from door to door, with a staff and a
meal pock, but for ane Mr. Wood, who is a baillie of London, that has
ta'en her by the hand. She's a woman advanced in life, with a short
neck, and a pentit face; housomever, that, I suppose, she canno help,
being a queen, and obligated to set the fashons to the court, where it is
necessar to hide their faces with pent, our Andrew says, that their looks
may not betray them--there being no shurer thing than a false-hearted
courtier.

But what concerns me the