od farm, but it has fallen back of late, and will likely
soon be in the market. John Bain was a good farmer and a good man, much
respected in the countryside. He died lately. His son William Bain had
gone wrong before that. An idle lad he was, and hastened his father's
death.'

"I kenned by this time what he was to be at," said John to Allison, when
he had got thus far. "And I thought it wiser to take the matter into my
own hands. So I said that I thought I had heard the name of William
Bain before. Where could it have been?

"`In the tollbooth, likely,' said Brownrig, losing hold of himself for a
minute, for his eyes gleamed with eagerness or with anger, I could not
say which. `Yes, it might. I have been there,' I said. `I had a
friend who went there now and then on Sunday afternoons, and once or
twice I went with him. But I never saw Bain. He must have been out
before ever I went there.'

"I saw the change in the man's face when I said this.

"`He was here in June,' he said. `He's off to America now, and I would
give much to ken who went with him. There are few men that one can
trust. Truth may be so told as to make one believe a lie; but I'll win
to the end o' the clue yet,' he said. He had an evil look when he said
it.

"I made haste over my work after that," went on John, "for I could not
trust myself to listen. If he had named your name--"

John rose and went to the window, and stood there long, looking out into
the darkness.

The unhappy story did not end here, but Allison heard no more. Brownrig
appeared again in the early morning, and John was asked to go with him
to see what repairs might be required on the outbuildings of a farm that
was soon to pass to a new tenant. Something would need to be done, and
the matter might as well be considered at once.

On their way they passed by the manse, and Dr Hadden's name was
mentioned.

"He has a son in America who has done well there. There are two or
three lads from this parish who have gone out to him, Willie Bain among
the rest"; and then Brownrig muttered to himself words which John could
not hear, but he answered:

"I have heard of several who have done well out there. Land is cheap
and good, and skilled labour is well paid," and so on.

But Brownrig came back again to Bain.

"That will not be the way with him. An idle lad and an ill-doing was
he. Folk said I was hard on him. He thought it himself. I would have
been glad to