Jess thinking money too serious a
thing to jest about. Then if Leeby had a moment for gossip, as when
ironing a dickey for Hendry, and the iron was a trifle too hot, she
would look archly at me before addressing her mother in these words:

"Will he send, think ye?"

Jess, who had a conviction that he would send, affected surprise at the
question.

"Will Jamie send this month, do ye mean? Na, oh, losh no! it's no to
be expeckit. Na, he couldna do't this time."

"That's what ye aye say, but he aye sends. Yes, an' vara weel ye ken
'at he will send."

"Na, na, Leeby; dinna let me ever think o' sic a thing this month."

"As if ye wasna thinkin' o't day an' nicht!"

"He's terrible mindfu', Leeby, but he doesna hae't. Na, no this month;
mebbe next month."

"Do you mean to tell me, mother, 'at ye'll no be up oot o' yer bed on
Monunday an hour afore yer usual time, lookin' for the post?"

"Na, no this time. I may be up, an' tak a look for 'im, but no
expeckin' a registerdy; na, na, that wouldna be reasonable."

"Reasonable here, reasonable there, up you'll be, keekin' (peering)
through the blind to see if the post's comin', ay, an' what's mair, the
post will come, and a registerdy in his hand wi' fifteen shillings in't
at the least."

"Dinna say fifteen, Leeby; I would never think o' sic a sum. Mebbe
five--"

"Five! I wonder to hear ye. Vera weel you ken 'at since he had
twenty-twa shillings in the week he's never sent less than half a
sovereign."

"No, but we canna expeck--"

"Expeck! No, but it's no expeck, it's get."

On the Monday morning when I came downstairs, Jess was in her chair by
the window, beaming, a piece of paper in her hand. I did not require
to be told about it, but I was told. Jess had been up before Leeby
could get the fire lit, with great difficulty reaching the window in
her bare feet, and many a time had she said that the post must be by.

"Havers," said Leeby, "he winna be for an hour yet. Come awa' back to
your bed."

"Na, he maun be by," Jess would say in a few minutes; "ou, we couldna
expeck this month."

So it went on until Jess's hand shook the blind.

"He's comin', Leeby, he's comin'. He'll no hae naething, na, I couldna
expeck---- He's by!"

"I dinna believe it," cried Leeby, running to the window, "he's juist
at his tricks again."

This was in reference to a way our saturnine post had of pretending
that he brought no letters and passing the door. Then h