A Winters Tale 237 



after making a fool of yourself like that what's to come 

 of you ? ' 



' Marry him to Bet,' suggested Kitty. 



' The very ticket ! ' returned her uncle. ' Will you 

 have him, Bet ? ' 



' Aye, that will I,' said the laconic maid. 



' You'll go down to the minister's as well, then/ 

 said Adam to Aleck ; ' and now, lass, bring us a drop 

 o' that brandy, and put the kettle on and bring the 

 sugar, and we'll christen the bargain.' 



So a few weeks afterwards there were two wed- 

 dings in Blackford, and when the lads of the village 

 ' roped ' Willie Allan he gave them a whole half-sove- 

 reign to drink, and was therefore allowed to enter the 

 croft-house with a thunderstorm of cheers ; but when 

 they did the same thing to Aleck he morosely cut 

 the rope with a knife, and that is why he has been so 

 unlucky ever since ; for if you go to Blackford now you 

 will find the croft-house to be the neatest, prettiest, 

 nicest house there, while ever since old Adam's death 

 the Red Lion has been so squalid and dirty and dis- 

 reputable that the Marquis has serious thoughts of 

 taking away the license and turning it into a butcher's 

 shop. 



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