m my arm; and when I spoke to her, her speech
faltered. I found that my cousin, in avoiding one omen, had stumbled
upon another, in my black coat. I was wroth with the rural prophetess,
and turned round to behold her. Her little grey eyes, twinkling through
spectacles, were wink, winking upon my ill-fated coat. She was a crooked
(forgive me for saying an ugly), little, old woman; she was "bearded
like a pard," and walked with a crooked stick mounted with silver. (On
the very spot[L] where she then was, the last witch in Scotland was
burned.) I turned from the grinning sibyl with disgust.

[L] The last person burned for witchcraft in Scotland was at
Spot--the scene of our present story.

On the previous day, and during part of the night, the rain had fallen
heavily, and the Broxburn was swollen to the magnitude of a little
river. The manse lay on the opposite side of the burn, which was
generally crossed by the aid of stepping-stones, but on the day in
question the tops of the stones were barely visible. On crossing the
burn the foot of the bride slipped, and the bridegroom, in his eagerness
to assist her, slipped also--knee-deep in the water. The raven voice was
again heard--it was another omen.

The kitchen was the only room in the manse large enough to contain the
spectators assembled to witness the ceremony, which passed over smoothly
enough, save that, when the clergyman was about to join the hands of the
parties, I drew off the glove of the bride a second or two before the
bridesmaid performed a similar operation on the hand of the bridegroom.
I heard the whisper of the crooked old woman, and saw that the eyes of
the other women were upon me. I felt that I had committed another omen,
and almost resolved to renounce wearing "blacks" for the future. The
ceremony, however, was concluded; we returned from the manse, and
everything was forgotten, save mirth and music, till the hour arrived
for tea.

The bride's mother had boasted of her "daughter's double set o' real
china" during the afternoon; and the female part of the company
evidently felt anxious to examine the costly crockery. A young woman was
entering with a tray and the tea equipage--another, similarly laden,
followed behind her. The "sneck" of the door caught the handle of the
tray, and down went china, waiting-maid, and all! The fall startled her
companion--their feet became entangled--both embraced the floor, and the
china from both trays lay scattere