s with marmalade, finnan-haddie or kippered
herring for breakfast; tea,--of course we never touch coffee in the
morning" (here Francesca started with surprise); "porridge, and we like
them well boiled, please" (I hope she noted the plural pronoun; Salemina
did, and blanched with envy); "minced collops for luncheon, or a nice
little black-faced chop; Scotch broth, pease brose or cockyleekie soup
at dinner, and haggis now and then, with a cold shape for dessert. That
is about the sort of thing we are accustomed to,--just plain Scotch
living."

I was impressing Miss Diggity-Dalgety,--I could see that clearly; but
Francesca spoiled the effect by inquiring, maliciously, if we could
sometimes have a howtowdy wi' drappit eggs, or her favourite dish, wee
grumphie wi' neeps.

Here Salemina was obliged to poke the fire in order to conceal her
smiles, and the cook probably suspected that Francesca found howtowdy
in the Scotch glossary; but we amused each other vastly, and that is our
principal object in life.

Miss Diggity-Dalgety's forebears must have been exposed to foreign
influences, for she interlards her culinary conversation with French
terms, and we have discovered that this is quite common. A 'jigget' of
mutton is of course a gigot, and we have identified an 'ashet' as
an assiette. The 'petticoat tails' she requested me to buy at the
confectioner's were somewhat more puzzling, but when they were finally
purchased by Susanna Crum they appeared to be ordinary little cakes;
perhaps, therefore, petits gastels, since gastel is an old form of
gateau, as was bel for beau. Susanna, on her part, speaks of the
wardrobe in my bedroom as an 'awmry.' It certainly contains no weapons,
so cannot be an armoury, and we conjecture that her word must be a
corruption of armoire.

"That was a remarkable touch about the black-faced chop," laughed
Salemina, when Miss Diggity-Dalgety had retired; "not that I believe
they ever say it."

"I am sure they must," I asserted stoutly, "for I passed a flesher's on
my way home, and saw a sign with 'Prime Black-Faced Mutton' printed on
it. I also saw 'Fed Veal,' but I forgot to ask the cook for it."

"We ought really to have kept house in Edinburgh," observed Francesca,
looking up from the Scotsman. "One can get a 'self-contained residential
flat' for twenty pounds a month. We are such an enthusiastic trio that a
self-contained flat would be everything to us; and if it were not fully
furnished, he