get　into　his　boots。　　Dand　said；　chuckling：　〃Ay；　Clem　has　the　elements　of
  a　corporation。〃　　〃A　provost　and　corporation；〃　returned　Clem。　　And　his
  readiness　was　much　admired。
  The　fourth　brother；　Dand；　was　a　shepherd　to　his　trade；　and　by　starts；
  when　he　could　bring　his　mind　to　it；　excelled　in　the　business。　　Nobody
  could　train　a　dog　like　Dandie；　nobody；　through　the　peril　of　great　storms
  in　the　winter　time；　could　do　more　gallantly。　　But　if　his　dexterity　were
  exquisite；　his　diligence　was　but　fitful；　and　he　served　his　brother　for
  bed　and　board；　and　a　trifle　of　pocket…money　when　he　asked　for　it。　　He
  loved　money　well　enough；　knew　very　well　how　to　spend　it；　and　could　make
  a　shrewd　bargain　when　he　liked。　　But　he　preferred　a　vague　knowledge　that
  he　was　well　to　windward　to　any　counted　coins　in　the　pocket；　he　felt
  himself　richer　so。　　Hob　would　expostulate：　〃I'm　an　amature　herd。〃　　Dand
  would　reply；　〃I'll　keep　your　sheep　to　you　when　I'm　so　minded；　but　I'll
  keep　my　liberty　too。　　Thir's　no　man　can　coandescend　on　what　I'm　worth。〃
  Clein　would　expound　to　him　the　miraculous　results　of　compound　interest；
  and　recommend　investments。　　〃Ay；　man？〃　Dand　would　say；　〃and　do　you
  think；　if　I　took　Hob's　siller；　that　I　wouldna　drink　it　or　wear　it　on　the
  lassies？　　And；　anyway；　my　kingdom　is　no　of　this　world。　　Either　I'm　a
  poet　or　else　I'm　nothing。〃　　Clem　would　remind　him　of　old　age。　　〃I'll　die
  young；　like；　Robbie　Burns；〃　he　would　say　stoutly。　　No　question　but　he
  had　a　certain　accomplishment　in　minor　verse。　　His　〃Hermiston　Burn；〃　with
  its　pretty　refrain　…
  〃I　love　to　gang　thinking　whaur　ye　gang　linking；
  Hermiston　burn；　in　the　howe；〃
  his　〃Auld；　auld　Elliotts；　clay…cauld　Elliotts；　dour；　bauld　Elliotts　of
  auld；〃　and　his　really　fascinating　piece　about　the　Praying　Weaver's
  Stone；　had　gained　him　in　the　neighbourhood　the　reputation；　still
  possible　in　Scotland；　of　a　local　bard；　and；　though　not　printed　himself；
  he　was　recognised　by　others　who　were　and　who　had　become　famous。　　Walter
  Scott　owed　to　Dandie　the　text　of　the　〃Raid　of　Wearie〃　in　the　MINSTRELSY；
  and　made　him　welcome　at　his　house；　and　appreciated　his　talents；　such　as
  they　were；　with　all　his　usual　generosity。　　The　Ettrick　Shepherd　was　his
  sworn　crony；　they　would　meet；　drink　to　excess；　roar　out　their　lyrics　in
  each　other's　faces；　and　quarrel　and　make　it　up　again　till　bedtime。　　And
  besides　these　recognitions；　almost　to　be　called　official；　Dandie　was
  made　welcome　for　the　sake　of　his　gift　through　the　farmhouses　of　several
  contiguous　dales；　and　was　thus　exposed　to　manifold　temptations　which　he
  rather　sought　than　fled。　　He　had　figured　on　the　stool　of　repentance；　for
  once　fulfilling　to　the　letter　the　tradition　of　his　hero　and　model。　　His
  humorous　verses　to　Mr。　Torrance　on　that　occasion　…　〃Kenspeckle　here　my
  lane　I　stand〃　…　unfortunately　too　indelicate　for　further　citation；　ran
  through　the　country　like　a　fiery　cross　…　they　were　recited；　quoted；
  paraphrased；　and　laughed　over　as　far　away　as　Dumfries　on　the　one　hand
  and　Dunbar　on　the　other。
  These　four　brothers　were　united　by　a　close　bond；　the　bond　of　that　mutual
  admiration　…　or　rather　mutual　hero…worship　…　which　is　so　strong　among
  the　members　of　secluded　families　who　have　much　ability　and　little
  culture。　　Even　the　extremes　admired　each　other。　　Hob；　who　had　as　much
  poetry　as　the　tongs；　professed　to　find　pleasure　in　Dand's　verses；　Clem；
  who　had　no　more　religion　than　Claverhouse；　nourished　a　heartfelt；　at
  least　an　open…mouthed；　admiration　of　Gib's　prayers；　and　Dandie　followed
  with　relish　the　rise　of　Clem's　fortunes。　　Indulgence　followed　hard　on
  the　heels　of　admiration。　　The　laird；　Clem；　and　Dand；　who　were　Tories　and
  patriots　of　the　hottest　quality；　excused　to　themselves；　with　a　certain
  bashfulness；　the　radical　and　revolutionary　heresies　of　Gib。　　By　another
  division　of　the　family；　the　laird；　Clem；　and　Gib；　who　were　men　exactly
  virtuous；　swallowed　the　dose　of　Dand's　irregularities　as　a　kind　of　clog
  or　drawback　in　the　mysterious　providence　of　God　affixed　to　bards；　and
  distinctly　probative　of　poetical　genius。　　To　appreciate　the　simplicity
  of　their　mutual　admiration　it　was　necessary　to　hear　Clem；　arrived　upon
  one　of　his　visits；　and　dealing　in　a　spirit　of　continuous　irony　with　the
  affairs　and　personalities　of　that　great　city　of　Glasgow　where　he　lived
  and　transacted　business。　　The　various　personages；　ministers　of　the
  church；　municipal　officers；　mercantile　big…wigs；　whom　he　had　occasion　to
  introduce；　were　all　alike　denigrated；　all　served　but　as　reflectors　to
  cast　back　a　flattering　side…light　on　the　house　of　Cauldstaneslap。　　The
  Provost；　for　whom　Clem　by　exception　entertained　a　measure　of　respect；　he
  would　liken　to　Hob。　〃He　minds　me　o'　the　laird　there；〃　he　would　say。　　〃He
  has　some　of　Hob's　grand；　whunstane　sense；　and　the　same　way　with　him　of
  steiking　his　mouth　when　he's　no　very　pleased。〃　　And　Hob；　all
  unconscious；　would　draw　down　his　upper　lip　and　produce；　as　if　for
  comparison；　the　formidable　grimace　referred　to。　　The　unsatisfactory
  incumbent　of　St。　Enoch's　Kirk　was　thus　briefly　dismissed：　〃If　he　had　but
  twa　fingers　o'　Gib's；　he　would　waken　them　up。〃　　And　Gib；　honest　man！
  would　look　down　and　secretly　smile。　　Clem　was　a　spy　whom　they　had　sent
  out　into　the　world　of　men。　　He　had　come　back　with　the　good　news　that
  there　was　nobody　to　compare　with　the　Four　Black　Brothers；　no　position
  that　they　would　not　adorn；　no　official　that　it　would　not　be　well　they
  should　replace；　no　interest　of　mankind；　secular　or　spiritual；　which
  would　not　immediately　bloom　under　their　supervision。　　The　excuse　of
  their　folly　is　in　two　words：　scarce　the　breadth　of　a　hair　divided　them
  from　the　peasantry。　　The　measure　of　their　sense　is　this：　that　these
  symposia　of　rustic　vanity　were　kept　entirely　within　the　family；　like
  some　secret　ancestral　practice。　　To　the　world　their　serious　faces　were
  never　deformed　by　the　suspicion　of　any　simper　of　self…contentment。　　Yet
  it　was　known。　　〃They　hae　a　guid　pride　o'　themsel's！〃　was　the　word　in　the
  country…side。
  Lastly；　in　a　Border　story；　there　should　be　added　their　〃two…names。〃　　Hob
  was　The　Laird。　〃Roy　ne　puis；　prince　ne　daigne〃；　he　was　the　laird　of
  Cauldstaneslap　…　say　fifty　acres　…　IPSISSIMUS。　　Clement　was　Mr。　Elliott；
  as　upon　his　door…plate；　the　earlier　Dafty　having　been　discarded　as　no
  longer　applicable；　and　indeed　only　a　reminder　of　misjudgment　and　the
  imbecility　of　the　public；　and　the　youngest；　in　honour　of　his　perpetual
  wanderings；　was　known　by　the　sobriquet　of　Randy　Dand。
  It　will　be　understood　that　not　all　this　information　was　communicated　by
  the　aunt；　who　had　too　much　of　the　family　failing　herself　to　appreciate
  it　thoroughly　in　others。　　But　as　time　went　on；　Archie　began　to　observe
  an　omission　in　the　family　chronicle。
  〃Is　there　not　a　girl　too？〃　he　asked。
  〃Ay：　Kirstie。　　She　was　named　for　me；　or　my　grandmother　at　least　…　it's
  the　same　thing；〃　returned　the　aunt；　and　went　on　again　about　Dand；　whom
  she　secretly　preferred　by　reason　of　his　gallantries。
  〃But　what　is　your　niece　like？〃　said　Archie　at　the　next　opportunity。
  〃Her？　　As　black's　your　hat！　　But　I　dinna　suppose　she　would　maybe　be　what
  you　would　ca'　ILL…LOOKED　a'thegither。　　Na；　she's　a　kind　of　a　handsome
  jaud　…　a　kind　o'　gipsy；〃　said　the　aunt；　who　had　two　sets　of　scales　for
  men　and　women　…　or　perhaps　it　would　be　more　fair　to　say　that　she　had
  three；　and　the　third　and　the　most　loaded　was　for　girls。
  〃How　comes　it　that　I　never　see　her　in　church？〃　said　Archie。
  〃　'Deed；　and　I　believe　she's　in　Glesgie　with　Clem　and　his　wife。　　A　heap
  good　she's　like　to　get　of　it！　　I　dinna　say　for　men　folk；　but　where
  weemen　folk　are　born；　there　let　them　bide。　　Glory　to　God；　I　was　never
  far'er　from　here　than　Crossmichael。〃
  In　the　meanwhile　it　began　to　strike　Archie　as　strange；　that　while　she
  thus　sang　the　praises　of　her　kinsfolk；　and　manifestly　relished　their
  virtues　and　（I　may　say）　their　vices　like　a　thing　creditable　to　herself；
  there　should　appear　not　the　least　sign　of　cordiality　between　the　house
  of　Hermiston　and　that　of　Cauldstaneslap。　　Going　to　church　of　a　Sunday；
  as　the　lady　housekeeper　stepped　with　her　skirts　kilted；　three　tucks　of
  her　white　petticoat　showing　below；　and　her　best　India　shawl　upon　her
  back　（if　the　day　were　fine）　in　a　pattern　of　radiant　dyes；　she　would
  sometimes　overtake　her　relatives　preceding　her　more　leisurely　in　the
  same　direction。　　Gib　of　course　was　absent：　by　skreigh　of　day　he　had　been
  gone　to　Crossmichael　and　his　fellow…heretics；　but　the　rest　of　the　family
  would　be　seen　marching　in　open　order：　Hob　and　Dand；　stiff…necked；
  straight…backed　six…footers；　with　severe　dark　faces；　and　their　plaids
  about　their　shoulders；　the　convoy　of　children　scattering　（in　a　state　of
  high　polish）　on　the　wayside；　and　every　now　and　again　collected　by　the
  shrill　summons　of　the　mother；　and　the　mother　herself；　by　a　suggest