Tibbie clenched her teeth, and seized a heather besom leaning near her. She could scarcely contain herself, and would gladly have broken the slanderer's head; but the women, his companions, would be sure to side with him either by words or blows, seeing it was but another woman's character that was in question! And then the after-talk in the glen! Naturally she heard less than other people, but still she had a candid friend or two, as who has not? and the averted looks of the neighbours when she appeared gave full confirmation of all the candid friends had to say. She dared not furnish new food for talk. Turning round, she hurried away, choosing a path which sheltered her from the view of Elspeth and the rest, and vowing bitter vengeance on Joseph Smiley's treacherous head.

Home she hurried with panting speed. Her perturbed mind deprived of other utterance, vented itself in tumultuous motion, and by the time she reached her cottage she was comparatively calm. She unlocked her door, entered, revived her fire, and sat down to meditate on revenge: but not for long. As Mr. Geddie and his companions were coming out from their interview with Roderick, Tibbie was passing homewards. Ebenezer, discontented with the result of their mission, and foreboding diminished honour at his own fireside from her who acted Little Conscience there, and had kept him to his duty through years of wedded life, with the whipcracks of her stinging tongue,--Ebenezer saw her, and proposed that they should follow her home, and 'deal' with her as they had meant to do when they visited her earlier in the day. Mr. Geddie consented, 'and I take it as a token for good,' he added, 'that we have seen her returning home at the very time we had given up hope of being able to find her.'

It was not long, therefore, before Tibbie's meditations were interrupted by the entrance of the inquisitors. They saluted her but briefly, and seated themselves on such chairs and stools as appeared, without waiting for much invitation, and disregarding Tibbie's enquiry of 'What's yer wull?' Mr. Geddie opened his book, lifted up his voice and held forth. It was a discourse on the vanity of concealment in the matter of sin, and an exhortation to confession as some measure of atonement, and the first step to repentance. Having concluded, he fixed his eyes on her and sat waiting to see what effect his words would have on her moral nature. Apparently they had none.

'Do you know, my woman, what brings us here today?'

'The very thing I hae been wantin' ye to tell me.'

'Where is your daughter?'

'What's yer wyll wi' my dochter?'

'Behave yersel', Tibbie Tirpie!' said Peter. 'Ye're no blate to speak that gate til a gentleman far less a minister.'

'I see little signs o' the gentleman! Stappin' richt in ower o' my house, an' never wi' yer leave, gude wife,' an' just settin' himsel' down, an' syne t'ey preaching'! Wad ye daar noo, my birkie, to stap that gate intil my Leddy Drysdale's parlour? I'm no thinkin' 't! Do ye think a puir body maun aye be like a cadger's tike, 'at ilka gowk can gie the ither kick til? An' then ne'er venture to bite? Gin I had mair siller, ye wad tak mair tent! An' as for my dochter, just mind what ye're after! gin ye daar say an ill word o' her I'se hae ye up afore the Shirra, an' I'se hae there twa freends o' yours for witnesses against ye. I hae some notion o' the ill tales they hae been tellin' through the glen, an' I'se gar them swear afore the Shirra against ye for the very tales they hae telled ye themsel's, sae tak ye tent! Them 'at lie doon wi' dugs, rise up wi' fleas! An' it's little worth company ye hae been keepin', for a' their holy sough an' their lang faces. They'll rin round spyin' an' keekin' intil ilka kale-pat but their ain. (It's no in Mig Prittie's kale-pat 'at Ebenezer there daar stick his neb, I'm thinkin'). An' syne they rin round wi' a curran clashes, swallin' ilka gowk's head wi' their clavers. But gin they dinna gie ower prankin' wi' my gude name an', my dochter's, I'se gie them something they're no lookin' for, an' they'll wuss they had steiket their jaws afore they meddled wi' Tibbie Tirpie!'

Wull ye no' whisht, an' hear til the man o' God? ye rantin' auld tinkler!' cried Peter. 'Ye hae a tongue 'at wad clip clouts!'