And it would ha' been a bold manager the noo who'd dared to offer Harry Lauder a guinea to sing twa-three songs of a nicht at a concert.
Had the wife been like maist women, timid and sair afraid that things wad gang wrang, I'd be singing in Scotland yet, I do believe.

But she was as bad as me.

She was as sure as I was that I couldna fail if ever I got the chance to sing in London.
"There's the same sort of folks there as here, Harry," she said.
"Folks are the same, here and there, the wide world ower.

Tak' your chance if it comes--ye'll no be losin' owt ye've got the noo if ye fail.

But ye'll not fail, laddie--I ken that weel." Still, resolving to tak' a chance if it came was not ma way.