"The baker's hoose is no sae bonnie," he said, "and the linen and cutlery verra scanty, but there is a yellow laburnum growin' by the door: the leddies see that, and forget to ask aboot the linen.

It depends a good bit on the weather, too; it is easy to let a hoose when the sun shines upon it." "We hardly dare undertake regular housekeeping," I said; "do your tenants ever take meals at the inn ?" "I cudna say, mam." (Dear, dear, the Crums are a large family!) "If we did that, we should still need a servant to keep the house tidy," said Salemina, as we walked away.

"Perhaps housemaids are to be had, though not nearer than Edinburgh, I fancy." This gave me an idea, and I slipped over to the post-office while Salemina was preparing for dinner, and despatched a telegram to Mrs.
M'Collop at Breadalbane Terrace, asking her if she could send a reliable general servant to us, capable of cooking simple breakfasts and caring for a house.
We had scarcely finished our Scotch broth, fried haddies, mutton-chops, and rhubarb tart when I received an answer from Mrs.M'Collop to the effect that her sister's husband's niece, Jane Grieve, could join us on the morrow if we desired.

The relationship was an interesting fact, though we scarcely thought the information worth the additional pennies we paid for it in the telegram; however, Mrs.M'Collop's comfortable assurance, together with the quality of the rhubarb tart and mutton-chops, brought us to a decision.

Before going to sleep we rented the draper's house, named it Bide-a-Wee Cottage, engaged daily luncheons and dinners for three persons at the Pettybaw Inn and Posting Establishment, telegraphed to Edinburgh for Jane Grieve, to Callander for Francesca, and despatched a letter to Paris for Mr.Beresford, telling him we had taken a 'wee theekit hoosie,' and that the 'yett was ajee' whenever he chose to come.
"Possibly it would have been wiser not send for them until we were settled," I said reflectively.