They
prick us and they pine us, and they pit us on the pinnywinkles for
witches; and, if I say my prayers backwards ten times ower, Satan will
never gie me amends o' them."
"Did ye ever see the foul thief?" asked her neighbour.
"Na!" replied the other spokeswoman; "but I trow I hae dreamed of him
mony a time, and I think the day will come they will burn me for't. But
ne'er mind, cummer! we hae this dollar of the Master's, and we'll send
doun for bread and for yill, and tobacco, and a drap brandy to burn, and
a wee pickle saft sugar; and be there deil, or nae deil, lass, we'll hae
a merry night o't."
Here her leathern chops uttered a sort of cackling, ghastly laugh,
resembling, to a certain degree, the cry of the screech-owl.
"He's a frank man, and a free-handed man, the Master," said Annie
Winnie, "and a comely personage--broad in the shouthers, and narrow
around the lunyies. He wad mak a bonny corpse; I wad like to hae the
streiking and winding o' him."
"It is written on his brow, Annie Winnie," returned the octogenarian,
her companion, "that hand of woman, or of man either, will never
straught him: dead-deal will never be laid on his back, make you your
market of that, for I hae it frae a sure hand.
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