"He'll daur onything but tyne (lose) siller. Eh! lassie, gin we hadna len' 't him yours!"
"I'll gang till him direcly. But dinna tell the mistress. She wadna like it."
"Na, na. I s' haud my tongue, I s' warran'.�-Ye're the best cratur ever was born. She'll maybe perswaud the ill-faured tyke (dog)."
Murmuring the last two sentences to himself, he walked away. When Annie entered Bruce's shop, the big spider was unoccupied, and ready to devour her. He put on therefore his most gracious reception.
"Hoo are ye, Miss Anderson? I'm glaid to see ye. Come benn the hoose."
"No, I thank ye. I want to speak to yersel', Mr Bruce. What's a' this aboot Mrs Forbes and you?"
"Grit fowk maunna ride ower the tap o' puir fowk like me, Miss
Anderson."
"She's a widow, Mr Bruce"-�Annie could not add "and childless"�-"and lays nae claim to be great fowk. It's no a Christian way o' treatin' her."
"Fowk maun hae their ain. It's mine, and I maun hae't. There's naething agen that i' the ten tables. There's nae gospel for no giein' fowk their ain. I'm nae a missionar noo. I dinna haud wi' sic things. I canna beggar my faimily to haud up her muckle hoose. She maun pay me, or I'll tak' it."
"Gin ye do, Mr Bruce, ye s' no hae my siller ae minute efter the time's up; and I'm sorry ye hae't till than."