shion; and, my evil ways
having half made a sneak of me, I cried out:

"I'll tell my father, Turkey."

"I only wish you would, and then I should be no tell-tale if he asked
me why, and I told him all about it. You young blackguard! You're no
gentleman! To sneak about the streets and hit girls with snowballs! I
scorn you!"

"You must have been watching, then, Turkey, and you had no business to
do that," I said, plunging at any defence.

"I was not watching you. But if I had been, it would have been just as
right as watching Hawkie. You ill-behaved creature! You're a true
minister's son."

"It's a mean thing to do, Turkey," I persisted, seeking to stir up my
own anger and blow up my self-approval.

"I tell you I did not do it. I met Elsie Duff crying in the street
because you had hit her with a dirty snowball. And then to go and
smoke her and her poor grannie, till the old woman fell down in a
faint or a fit, I don't know which! You deserve a good pommelling
yourself, I can tell you, Ranald. I'm ashamed of you."

He turned to go away.

"Turkey, Turkey," I cried, "isn't the old woman better?"

"I don't know. I'm going to see," he answered.

"Come back and tell me, Turkey," I shouted, as he disappeared from the
field of my vision.

"Indeed I won't. I don't choose to keep company with such as you. But
if ever I hear of you touching them again, you shall have more of me
than you'll like, and you may tell your father so when you please."

I had indeed sunk low when Turkey, who had been such a friend, would
have nothing to say to me more. In a few minutes the master returned,
and finding me crying, was touched with compassion. He sent me home at
once, which was well for me, as I could not have repeated a single
question. He thought Peter had crept through one of the panes that
opened for ventilation, and did not interrogate me about his
disappearance.

The whole of the rest of that day was miserable enough. I even
hazarded one attempt at making friends with Mrs. Mitchell, but she
repelled me so rudely that I did not try again. I could not bear the
company of either Allister or Davie. I would have gone and told
Kirsty, but I said to myself that Turkey must have already prejudiced
her against me. I went to bed the moment prayers were over, and slept
a troubled sleep. I dreamed that Turkey had gone and told my father,
and that he had turned me out of the house.

CHAPTER XVIII

Light out of Darkness

I