s law. I hev no complaints to make of her; but she was a hard
woman, and I think she would hev bin kinder to me if I had bin her
sister's child in place of her brother's. But all that's o' no
consequence noo.

"The squire--his name was Mr. Chevenix Crowl, he was Dame Crowl's
grandson--came down there, by way of seeing that the old lady was well
treated, about twice or thrice in the year. I sid him but twice all
the time I was at Applewale House.

"I can't say but she was well taken care of, notwithstanding; but that
was because my aunt and Meg Wyvern, that was her maid, had a
conscience, and did their duty by her.

"Mrs. Wyvern--Meg Wyvern my aunt called her to herself, and Mrs.
Wyvern to me--was a fat, jolly lass of fifty, a good height and a good
breadth, always good-humoured and walked slow. She had fine wages, but
she was a bit stingy, and kept all her fine clothes under lock and
key, and wore, mostly, a twilled chocolate cotton, wi' red, and
yellow, and green sprigs and balls on it, and it lasted wonderful.

"She never gave me nout, not the vally o' a brass thimble, all the
time I was there; but she was good-humoured, and always laughin', and
she talked no end o' proas over her tea; and, seeing me sa sackless
and dowly, she roused me up wi' her laughin' and stories; and I think
I liked her better than my aunt--children is so taken wi' a bit o' fun
or a story--though my aunt was very good to me, but a hard woman about
some things, and silent always.

"My aunt took me into her bed-chamber, that I might rest myself a bit
while she was settin' the tea in her room. But first, she patted me on
the shouther, and said I was a tall lass o' my years, and had spired
up well, and asked me if I could do plain work and stitchin'; and she
looked in my face, and said I was like my father, her brother, that
was dead and gone, and she hoped I was a better Christian, and wad na
du a' that lids (would not do anything of that sort).

"It was a hard sayin' the first time I set foot in her room, I
thought.

"When I went into the next room, the housekeeper's room--very
comfortable, yak (oak) all round--there was a fine fire blazin' away,
wi' coal, and peat, and wood, all in a low together, and tea on the
table, and hot cake, and smokin' meat; and there was Mrs. Wyvern, fat,
jolly, and talkin' away, more in an hour than my aunt would in a year.

"While I was still at my tea my aunt went up-stairs to see Madam
Crowl.

"'She's ag