e," said Hendry, settling down
to a reminiscence.

"No to be ower hard on Gavin," continued Tammas, forestalling Hendry,
"he took what I said in guid part; but aye when I stopped speakin' to
draw breath, he says, 'The queistion is, will ye come wi' me?' He was
michty made up in 's mind."

"Weel, ye went wi' him," suggested Jess, who wanted to bring Tammas to
the point.

"Ay," said the stone-breaker, "but no in sic a hurry as that."

He worked his mouth round and round, to clear the course, as it were,
for a sarcasm.

"Fowk often say," he continued, "'at 'am quick beyond the ordinar' in
seeing the humorous side o' things."

Here Tammas paused, and looked at us.

"So ye are, Tammas," said Hendry. "Losh, ye mind hoo ye saw the
humorous side o' me wearin' a pair o' boots 'at wisna marrows! No, the
ane had a toe-piece on, an' the other hadna."

"Ye juist wore them sometimes when ye was delvin'," broke in Jess, "ye
have as guid a pair o' boots as ony in Thrums."

"Ay, but I had worn them," said Hendry, "at odd times for mair than a
year, an' I had never seen the humorous side o' them. Weel, as fac as
death (here he addressed me), Tammas had juist seen them twa or three
times when he saw the humorous side o' them. Syne I saw their humorous
side, too, but no till Tammas pointed it oot."

"That was naething," said Tammas, "naething ava to some things I've
done."

"But what aboot Mag?" said Leeby.

"We wasna that length, was we?" said Tammas. "Na, we was speakin'
aboot the humorous side. Ay, wait a wee, I didna mention the humorous
side for naething."

He paused to reflect.

"Oh, yes," he said at last, brightening up, "I was sayin' to ye hoo
quick I was to see the humorous side o' onything. Ay, then, what made
me say that was 'at in a clink (flash) I saw the humorous side o'
Gavin's position."

"Man, man," said Hendry, admiringly, "and what is't?"

"Oh, it's this, there's something humorous in speirin' a woman to let
ye aff so as ye can be married to another woman."

"I daursay there is," said Hendry, doubtfully.

"Did she let him aff?" asked Jess, taking the words out of Leeby's
mouth.

"I'm comin' to that," said Tammas. "Gavin proposes to me after I had
haen my laugh--"

"Yes," cried Hendry, banging the table with his fist, "it has a
humorous side. Ye're richt again, Tammas."

"I wish ye wadna blatter (beat) the table," said Jess, and then Tammas
proceeded.

"Gavin wanted me to tak' pap