ll ye. An' luik weel aboot, Betty, you that can see sae weel, in
case there suld be ony cattle aboot; for he's nane o' the cleanest, yon
dame!'

'I wull do that, mem.'

'An' gang direckly, afore he comes back.'

'Wha comes back?'

'Robert, of course.'

'What for that?'

''Cause he's comin' wi' 'im.'

'What he 's comin' wi' 'im?'

'Ca' 't she, gin ye like. It's Shargar.'

'Wha says that?' exclaimed Betty, sniffing and starting at once.

'I say that. An' ye gang an' du what I tell ye, this minute.'

Betty obeyed instantly; for the tone in which the last words were spoken
was one she was not accustomed to dispute. She only muttered as she
went, 'It 'll a' come upo' me as usual.'

Betty's job was long ended before Robert returned. Never dreaming that
Shargar could have gone back to the old haunt, he had looked for him
everywhere before that occurred to him as a last chance. Nor would he
have found him even then, for he would not have thought of his being
inside the deserted house, had not Shargar heard his footsteps in the
street.

He started up from his stool saying, 'That's Bob!' but was not sure
enough to go to the door: he might be mistaken; it might be the
landlord! He heard the feet stop and did not move; but when he heard
them begin to go away again, he rushed to the door, and bawled on the
chance at the top of his voice, 'Bob! Bob!'

'Eh! ye crater!' said Robert, 'ir ye there efter a'?

'Eh! Bob,' exclaimed Shargar, and burst into tears. 'I thocht ye wad
come efter me.'

'Of coorse,' answered Robert, coolly. 'Come awa' hame.'

'Whaur til?' asked Shargar in dismay.

'Hame to yer ain bed at my grannie's.'

'Na, na,' said Shargar, hurriedly, retreating within the door of the
hovel. 'Na, na, Bob, lad, I s' no du that. She's an awfu' wuman, that
grannie o' yours. I canna think hoo ye can bide wi' her. I'm weel oot o'
her grups, I can tell ye.'

It required a good deal of persuasion, but at last Robert prevailed
upon Shargar to return. For was not Robert his tower of strength? And if
Robert was not frightened at his grannie, or at Betty, why should he
be? At length they entered Mrs. Falconer's parlour, Robert dragging in
Shargar after him, having failed altogether in encouraging him to enter
after a more dignified fashion.

It must be remembered that although Shargar was still kilted, he was not
the less trowsered, such as the trowsers were. It makes my heart ache to
think of those trowsers--n