hae rested a
wee. He has but yae candle. Plenty enough, says you, for an auld man.
He'll hae fa'en asleep amang the bonnie napery, wi' his head on the
beam and his hand that tired it wadna caa the shuttle ony mair!"

Then suddenly the madman took another thought.

"But what am I thinkin' on?" he cried. "The world is not for dune auld
dotards, but for young folk--young folk--braw folk--rich folk like you
and me, Elsie! See to that!"

He drew out the same large pocket-book that had dazzled the eyes of our
shopmen at Yarrow's, and opening it, showed Elsie the rolls and rolls
of notes, all of high denominations unseen before in Breckonside.

"There's a fortune there, lassie," he said, "a' made by Jeremy--every
penny o't by Jeremy, for you and me, hinny! It bocht the melodeon
here, that Hobby wadna gie this puir lad a shilling for. And it will
mak' you the bonniest and the brawest wife i' the parish! Hark ye to
that, Elsie! There's a fair offer for ye, the like o' that ye never
heard! But noo, the nicht is afore us. I will pipe to ye, and ye
shall dance. Oh, but though I say it that shouldna--ye are fell bonnie
when ye dance!

"Jeremy's heart gangs oot to ye then. If onybody was to look at
ye--that much--fegs, Jeremy wad put a knife into him--ay, ay, and the
thing wadna be to dae twice! Oh, there's a heap o' braw lads in
Breckonside that wadna be the waur o' a bluid lettin'! There's that
upsettin' young Joe Yarrow for yin. I saw him the night standin'
watchin' me as I was payin' for the melodeon, as if the siller was
counterfeit! Certes, if Jeremy likit he could buy up the Yarrows ten
times ower, faither and son!"

Then as the madman went off toward the door he lifted his finger with
the half-playful air with which one admonishes a child.

"Jeremy can trust ye?" he queried. "Ay, ay, forbye the windows are
barred, and the granddad has his door locked--that I ken weel. He aye
sleeps best that gate! Bide here like a denty quean--wait for Jeremy.
He will bring in the feast, the grand banquet in the cups o' silver an'
gowd, the white wine and the reid--the best baker's bread, honey frae
the kame, and a' the denty devices o' the King's ain pastry-cook--that
were bocht for coined siller in Breckonside! Then, after the feast ye
shall dance--dance, Elsie, as danced that other bonnie quean they caaed
the dochter o' Herodias. Eh, but she maun hae made thae soldiers of
Herod and thae grand wise-like lords ye