COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 265 



couldna do afore), to speir for your bedfellow, for 

 they tell me he has taen an awfu coup aff his horse. 

 Monkbarns has been sair taen up about it, for he 

 kent his father, and was jilted by his mother ; but 

 Monkbarns is no the man to bear malice. Weel, 

 I made him understand that your goodman (wha, 

 to my mind, will ever be the callant I saw him last) 

 had a sair fa' frae his powny. ' Do ye mean the 

 Laird o' Charleton, Grizzy?' 'The same,' says I. 

 ' A powny woman ! The Laird o' Charleton rides 

 a powny, no a hand less than the horse that took 

 Troy ; and as he and his saddle are no easy to part, 

 his fall would be like that of Antous (?). It would 

 ring the kirk-bell if he was in sicht of the belfry. 

 But what's happened ? Has he broke his neck ? ' 

 ' Praise aboon, no jist that, Monkbarns. But, faith, 

 he was ower near it. He has broken his ankle bane.' 

 'His ankle bane, woman! If a breakage never 

 comes nearer his neck than that, it's safe enough 

 till he's hanged. The Laird of Charleton's ankle 

 is about a mile from his neck. But send and speir 

 for the lad, send and speir for him.' So ye see I 

 am just doing the laird's bidding, but wi' a' my ain 

 heart. And there's my card picture ; and that's 

 the dress I had on at a fancy ball, where I was 

 mair taen up wi', and taen out and oftener on the 

 floor, than some misses they ca'd beauties. My 

 certie, had they seen the young mistresses that were 

 beauties in my time! And I was amang the first 

 that showed and shined ; and 'tweel, the shines no 

 oot o me yet, as ye may see by this same. 



