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into scrapes for want of a pickle natural spunk. Let nae man tell me that guid nature and simpleecity will get on best in this world; na-faith, no. I had ower muckle experience that way; and the langer I lived has pruved to me that my auld maister, James Currie, (him in the Quarry Loan) wasna sae far wrang when he alleged, in his droll gude-humoured way, that a man should hae enough of the deil about him to keep the deil frae him. That was, after a', ane of the wisest observes I hae heard o' for a lang time. Little did I opine that I would ever be oblegated to mak' use o't in my ain particklar case :-but, bide awee, and ye shall see how it was brocht about between me and Maggy.
It was on a wintry nicht when she set out to pick a quarrel wi' Mrs Todd, the huckster's wife, anent the price of a pickle flour which I had bought some days before, for making batter of, but which didna turn out sae weel as I expeckit, considering what was paid for't. Had I been consulted, I would hae tell't her to bide at hame, and no fash her thumb about the matter, which after a' was only an affair of three-happenee farthing, and neither here nor there. But, na; Maggie was nane o' the kind to let sie an object to stan' by ; so out she sets, wi' her red cloak about her, and her black velvet bonnet--that she had just that day got hame frao Miss Lorimer, the milliner upon her head. But I maun first tell what passed between her and me on this wonderfu' occasion.'
“ And now, my dear," quo' I, looking as couthly and humble as I could, and pulling my Kilmarnock night-cap a wee grain off my brow in a kind of half respectfu' fashion, "whats this ye're ganging to be about? Odds, woman, I wadna gie a pirn for a'
