so vexed with yoursel' the next
day, that there is nae living in the house wi' ye. Ye wreak a' the shame
and ill-nature that ye feel on account o' your conduct upon us.'

"'Nancy!' cried I, striking my hand upon the table, as though I had been an
emperor, 'what in the name o' wonder do ye mean? Who imposes upon me?--who
dare?--tell me that!--I say tell me that?' And I struck my hand upon the
table again.

"'Owre mony impose upon ye, my man,' quoth she; 'and I hope naebody has
been doing it the night, for I never saw ye come hame in this key, but that
somebody had got ye to do something that ye was to repent afterwards.'

"'Confound ye, Nancy!' cried I, very importantly whipping up the tails o'
my coat in a passion, and turning my back to the fire, while I gied a sort
o' stagger, and my head knocked against the chimley piece--'confound ye,
Nancy, I say, what do ye mean? Simple man as ye ca' me, and as ye tak me to
be, do ye think that I am to come home to get naething but a dish o'
tongues from you! Bring me my supper.'

"'Oh, certainly, ye shall have your supper,' said she, 'if ye can eat
it--only I think that your bed is the fittest place for ye. O man,' added
she in a lower tone, half speaking to hersel, 'but ye'll be sorry for this
the morn.'

"'What the mischief are ye muttering at?' cried I--'get me my supper.'

"'Oh, ye shall have that,' said she very calmly, for she was, and is, a
quiet woman, and one that would put up with a great deal, rather than allow
her voice to be heard by her neighbours.

"My head was in a queer state the next day; for ye see I had as good as
five glasses, and I never could properly stand above two. I was quite
ashamed to look my wife in the face, and I was so certain that I had been
guilty o' some absurdity or other, that my cheeks burned just under the
dread o' its being mentioned to me. Neither could I drive the idea of
having put my name upon the back of the bill from my mind. I was conscious
that I had done wrong. Yet, thought I, Mr Swanston is a very decent man; he
is a very respectable man; he has always borne an excellent character; and
is considered a good man, both amongst men o' business and in
society--therefore, I have nothing to apprehend. I, according to his own
confession, did him a good turn, and I could in no way implicate myself in
his transactions by merely putting my name upon the back o' a bit o' paper,
to oblige him. So I thought within myself, and I became p