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pose that I hae neither faith nor hope in. But ye're kend for an auld farrent man; if ye can bring a little honestly this way, I shall gie you the half o't; for weel I ken it will never come this way by onty art or shift o' mine."
"Ay, ay, that's spoken like a sensible and reasonable woman, Tibby Hyslop, as ye are and hae always been. But think you, could there be nae way contrived”— and here the cooper gave two winks with his left eye—" by the whilk ye could gie me it a', and yet no rob yoursel o' a farthing?"
“Na, na, Johnie Jardine, that's clean aboon my comprehension: But ye're a cunning draughty man, and I leave the hale matter to your guidance.”
"Very weel, Tibby, very weel. I'll try to ca' a gayan substantial gird round your succes, if I can hit the width o' the chance, and the girth o' the gear. Gude day to you the day, an think about the plan o' equal-aqual that I spak o'."
Old maids are in general very easily courted, and very apt to take a hint. I have indeed known a great many instances in which they took hints very seriously, before
