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that I maun now stann firm, or be a dead man for ever. "Has your faither been at the whisky bottle?" said she to her dochter. "He looks as if he was the waur of drink." "He had a glass just before ye cam in," answered the wicked jimpey: and scarcely had she spoken the word, when Maggy flew upon me like a teger, and gie'd me a skelp on the cheek wi' her open loof, that made me turn round tapwise on the middle of the floor. Seeing that affairs were come to this pass, I saw plainly that I maun go on, no forgetting in sae doing my frien' Andrew's advice, as also my auld master, Tammas Currie's observe, anent a man ha'eing aneuch of the deil in his temper to keep the deil awa' frae him. So I picked up a' tho spunk I had in me. besides what I had frae the drap whisky; and fa'ing to, I gi'ed her sic a leathering, as never woman got in her born days. In ao word, she met wi' her match, and roared aloud for mercy; but this I would on nao account grant, till she promised faithfully, that in a' time coming she would acknowledge me as her lord and master———and obey me in everything as a dutiful wife should her husband.
As soon as this was settled, in stappit Andrew Brand. At the sight of my wife greeting, and me sae fairce, he held up his hands wi' astonishment. "William M'Gee," quo' he, "it's no possible that ye're maister in this house!”
"It's no only possible, but its true, Andrew,” was my answer; and taking me by the land, he wished me joy for my speerit and success.
Sae far, sao weel : the first grand stroke was made, but there was something yet to do. I had discharged a' outstanding debts wi' my wife, and had brocht her to terms; but I had yet to reduce like a squib on the King's birth day, and I saw
