of his court.
The Doctor has been minting to me that there is an address from

Irvine to the queen; and he, being so near a neighbour to your toun,
has been thinking to pay his respecs with it, to see her near at

hand. But I will say nothing; he may take his own way in matters of
gospel and spiritualety; yet I have my scroopols of conshence, how

this may not turn out a rebellyon against the king; and I would hav
him to sift and see who are at the address, before he pits his han

to it. For, if it's a radikol job, as I jealoos it is, what will
the Doctor then say? who is an orthodox man, as the world nose.

In the maitre of our dumesticks, no new axsident has cast up; but I
have seen such a wonder as could not have been forethocht. Having a

washin, I went down to see how the lassies were doing; but judge of
my feelings, when I saw them triomphing on the top of pattons,

standing upright before the boyns on chairs, rubbin the clothes to
juggins between their hands, above the sapples, with their gouns and

stays on, and round-cared mutches. What would you think of such a
miracle at the washing-house in the Goffields, or the Gallows-knows

of Irvine? The cook, howsomever, has shown me a way to make rice-
puddings without eggs, by putting in a bit of shoohet, which is as

good--and this you will tell Miss Nanny Eydent; likewise, that the
most fashionable way of boiling green pis, is to pit a blade of

spearmint in the pot, which gives a fine flavour. But this is a
long letter, and my pepper is done; so no more, but remains your

friend and well-wisher, JANET PRINGLE.
"A great legacy, and her dochtir married, in ae journey to London,

is doing business," said Mrs. Glibbans, with a sigh, as she looked
to her only get, Miss Becky; "but the Lord's will is to be done in

a' thing;--sooner or later something of the same kind will come, I
trust, to all our families." "Ay," replied Miss Mally Glencairn,

"marriage is like death--it's what we are a' to come to."
"I have my doubts of that," said Miss Becky with a sneer. "Ye have

been lang spair't from it, Miss Mally."
"Ye're a spiteful puddock; and if the men hae the e'en and lugs they

used to hae, gude pity him whose lot is cast with thine, Becky
Glibbans," replied the elderlymaidenornament of the Kirkgate,

somewhat tartly.
Here Mr. Snodgrass interposed, and said, he would read to them the

letter which Miss Isabella had received from the bride; and without
waiting for their concurrence, opened and read as follows:-

LETTER XXXI
Mrs. Sabre to Miss Isabella Tod

My Dearest Bell--Rachel Pringle is no more! My heart flutters as I
write the fatal words. This morning, at nine o'clock precisely, she

was conducted in bridal array to the new church of Mary-le-bone; and
there, with ring and book, sacrificed to the Minotaur, Matrimony,

who devours so many of our bravest youths and fairest maidens.
My mind is too agitated to allow me to describe the scene. The

office of handmaid to the victim, which, in our young simplicity, we
had fondly thought one of us would perform for the other, was

gracefully sustained by Miss Argent.
On returning from church to my father's residence in Baker Street,

where we breakfasted, he declared himself not satisfied with the
formalities of the English ritual, and obliged us to undergo a

second ceremony from himself, according to the wonted forms of the
Scottish Church. All the advantages and pleasures of which, my dear

Bell, I hope you will soon enjoy.
But I have no time to enter into particulars. The captain and his

lady, by themselves, in their own carriage, set off for Brighton in
the course of less than an hour. On Friday they are to be followed

by a large party of their friends and relations; and, after spending
a few days in that emporium of salt-water pleasures, they embark,

accompanied with their beloved brother, Mr. Andrew Pringle, for
Paris; where they are afterwards to be joined by the Argents. It is

our intention" target="_blank" title="n.意图；打算；意义">intention to remain about a month in the French capital; whether
we shall extend our tour, will depend on subsequent circumstances:

in the meantime, however, you will hear frequently from me.
My mother, who has a thousand times during these important

transactions wished for the assistance of Nanny Eydent, transmits to
Miss Mally Glencairn a box containing all the requisitebridal

recognisances for our Irvine friends. I need not say that the best
is for the faithfulcompanion of my happiest years. As I had made a

vow in my heart that Becky Glibbans should never wear gloves for my
marriage, I was averse to sending her any at all, but my mother

insisted that no exceptions should be made. I secretly took care,
however, to mark a pair for her, so much too large, that I am sure

she will never put them on. The asp will be not a little vexed at
the disappointment. Adieu for a time, and believe that, although

your affectionate Rachel Pringle be gone that way in which she hopes
you will soon follow, one not less sincerely attached to you, though

it be the first time she has so subscribed herself, remains in
RACHEL SABRE.

Before the ladies had time to say a word on the subject, the prudent
young clergyman called immediately on Mr. Micklewham to read the

letter which he had received from the Doctor; and which the worthy
dominie did without delay, in that rich and full voice with which he

is accustomed to teach his scholars elocution by example.
LETTER XXXII

The Rev. Z. Pringle, D.D., to Mr. Micklewham, Schoolmaster and
Session-Clerk, Garnock--LONDON.

Dear Sir--I have been much longer of replying to your letter of the
3rd of last month, than I ought in civility to have been, but really

time, in this town of London, runs at a fast rate, and the day
passes before the dark's done. What with Mrs. Pringle and her

daughter's concernments, anent the marriage to Captain Sabre, and
the trouble I felt myself obliged to take in the queen's affair, I

assure you, Mr. Micklewham, that it's no to be expressed how I have
been occupied for the last four weeks. But all things must come to

a conclusion in this world. Rachel Pringle is married, and the
queen's weary trial is brought to an end--upon the subject and

motion of the same, I offer no opinion, for I made it a point never
to read the evidence, being resolved to stand by THE WORD from the

first, which is clearly and plainly written in the queen's favour,
and it does not do in a case of conscience to stand on trifles;

putting, therefore, out of consideration the fact libelled, and
looking both at the head and the tail of the proceeding, I was of a

firm persuasion, that all the sculduddery of the business might have
been well spared from the eye of the public, which is of itself

sufficiently prone to keek and kook, in every possible way, for a
glimpse of a black story; and, therefore, I thought it my duty to

stand up in all places against the trafficking that was attempted
with a divineinstitution. And I think, when my people read how

their prelatic enemies, the bishops (the heavens defend the poor
Church of Scotland from being subjected to the weight of their

paws), have been visited with a constipation of the understanding on
that point, it must to them be a great satisfaction to know how

clear and collected their minister was on this fundamental of
society. For it has turned out, as I said to Mrs. Pringle, as well

as others, it would do, that a sense of grace and religion would be
manifested in some quarter before all was done, by which the devices

for an unsanctified repudiation or divorce would be set at nought.
As often as I could, deeming it my duty as a minister of the word

and gospel, I got into the House of Lords, and heard the trial; and
I cannot think how ever it was expected that justice could be done

yonder; for although no man could be more attentive than I was,
every time I came away I was more confounded than when I went; and

when the trial was done, it seemed to me just to be clearing up for
a proper beginning--all which is a proof that there was a foul

conspiracy. Indeed, when I saw Duke Hamilton's daughter coming out
of the coach with the queen, I never could think after, that a lady

of her degree would have countenanced the queen had the matter laid