uite agreed with him. To my mind, Robina Lamont was a match for a
far more dangerous character. She would be equal in strength to many
an able-bodied man. But I felt doubtful whether the arrangement would
be satisfactory as regarded the old widow. She was so helpless that
unless the man was actually as harmless as was supposed it might he
risky to place him in such a house. I voiced my objection, but Val was
not impressed by it. He had great confidence in the judgment of the
Inspector--a thoroughly able man, and shrewd withal.

When the question was proposed to the Lamonts they at once warmed to
the idea. It appeared that one of the lads of their own family--now
long dead--had been in much the same state, though _he_ was inclined to
be unruly at times; consequently neither the widow nor her daughter
felt the least apprehension of difficulties in managing their patient.
Thus it came about that Bildy Gow became a member of our community.

In Scotland we have many more diminutive forms of ordinary Christian
names than is the case in England. William, for example, figures as
Willy, Wildy, Will, Bill, Billy, and Bildy. The variety is useful in
cases, which are of frequent occurrence, where the same name belongs to
grandfather, father, and son; William, Wildy, and Bill are perfectly
distinct. It was as Bildy that William Gow became known among us;
before long every one dropped the unnecessary surname and he was spoken
of habitually as Bildy simply.

Robina brought her lodger to Mass with her in state on the very first
Sunday. He was rather a good-looking fellow, tall and straight, with
fresh complexion, regular features and light-brown hair and moustache.
He was neatly dressed, too, for he had evidently been fitted out for
his new home by the liberality of the Inspector. Beyond a shy, vacant
expression, Bildy gave no evidence of mental incapacity in his
appearance. He kept close to Robina when they emerged from church, and
seemed to rely upon her protection with the air of a shy lad, which was
rather pathetic to witness. He was not a Catholic, but he had shown
such distress when Robina had told him to sit at home with her mother
that they were forced to let him go to church to keep him quiet.

On further acquaintance, Bildy did not belie the good character given
him by the Inspector. He was merely a grown-up child. In his youth he
must have been of a thoroughly quiet, innocent nature, for he showed it
in hi