utality, butchery, devilry, and his heart had burned at the thought
of it. Something which he felt was holy made him leap to his feet and
give his name, yet now he found his chief delights in coarse
associations and debasing habits.

He was still fond of Polly Powell. The girl's coarse beauty made a
strong appeal to him, but he remembered Alice Lister; remembered the
things which she had said to him, and he could not help sighing.

"Eh, Tom, is that you?"

Tom turned and saw a tall raw-boned fellow in kilts.

"Ay, Alec; wher't' baan?"

"There's a wee lassie I promised to meet to-nicht," replied the other.

Alec McPhail belonged to the Black Watch, a battalion of which was
stationed in the town, and Tom and Alec had become friends.

"What's thy lass's name?" asked Tom.

"I dinna ken reightly, except that they ca' her Alice. Come wi' me,
Tom; mebbe she has a friend."

"Nay," replied Tom, "I doan't feel like skylarking with the lasses
to-night."

"Weel, I'm not ower particular mysel', but I have not much siller.
Three bawbees will have to last me till Saturday, otherwise I'd be
asking ye to come and have a drop of whisky wi' me."

"I am stony-broke too," said Tom. "I expect I have been a fool."

"Nay, man, nae man's a fool who spends his siller on good whisky."

By this time they were walking together towards the outskirts of the
town.

"What is this lass o' yourn?" asked Tom after a silence.

"I think she's a wee bit servant lassie," replied the Scotchman; "she's
a bonny wee thing too, and fairly enamoured wi' a kilt."

Tom still walked on aimlessly; the thought of going to meet a girl who
might never come did not have much attraction for him; still he didn't
know where to go.

"I don't think I'll come any further," he said presently.

"Nay, what makes ye alter your mind, Tom?"

"I think I'll go back to the Black Cow," replied Tom, "'appen there's
some chaps there who'll stand a treat. After all, Penrose wur right
when he called me an ass."

"Penrose is what you call a gentleman ranker, I'm thinking."

"Summat o' that sort," replied Tom,

"What did he call you an ass for?"

"Well, you see I've been a bit of a fool; I've spent all my brass, and
I've took up wi' a lot o' lads as is no use to me. Penrose is gone to
the Y.M.C.A. You wouldn't think it perhaps, McPhail, but I wur a bit in
the religious line myself once. I wur educating myself too, and I had
as nice a lass as there was i' Brun