' the hearthstane, I wad hae been deid or noo. Was my heid
aneath the grate, guidwife?"

"Na, nae freely that, Mr Cupples; but the blude o' 't was. And ye maun
jist haud yer tongue, and lie still. Mr Forbes, ye maun jist come doon
wi' me; for he winna haud's tongue's lang's ye're there. I'll jist mak'
a cup o' tay till him."

"Tay, guidwife! Deil slocken himsel' wi yer tay! Gie me a sook o' the
tappit hen."

"'Deed, Mr Cupples, ye s' hae neither sook nor sipple o' that spring."

"Ye rigwiddie carlin!" grinned the patient.

"Gin ye dinna haud yer tongue, I'll gang for the doctor."

"I'll fling him doon the stair.--Here's doctor eneuch!" he added,
looking at Alec. "Gie me half a glaiss, nate."

"Never a glaiss nor glaiss sall ye hae frae my han', Mr Cupples. It wad
be the deid o' ye. And forbye, thae ill-faured gutter-partans
(kennel-crabs) toomed the pig afore they gaed. And guid faith! it was
the only wise-like thing they did. Fess the twa halves o' 't, Mr
Forbes, an' lat him see 't wi' the een o' misbelief."

"Gang oot o' my chaumer wi' yer havers," cried Mr Cupples, "and lea' me
wi' Alec Forbes. He winna deave me wi' his clash."

"'Deed, I'll no lea' twa sic fules thegither. Come doon the stair
direckly, Mr Forbes."

Alec saw that it was better to obey. He went up on the sly in the
course of the evening, however, but peeping in and seeing that he
slept, came down again. He insisted upon sitting up with him though, to
which, after repeated vows of prudence and caution, their landlady
consented.

He was restless and feverish during the night. Alec gave him some
water. He drank it eagerly. A flash of his humour broke through the
cloud of his suffering as he returned the tumbler.

"Eh, man! that's gran' tipple," he said. "Hoo do ye ca' 't?"

In the morning he was better; but quite unable to rise. The poor fellow
had very little blood for ordinary organic purposes, and the loss of
any was a serious matter to him.

"I canna lift my heid, Alec," he said. "Gin that thrawn wife wad hae
but gien me a drappy o' whusky, I wad hae been a' richt."

"Jist lie ye still, Mr Cupples," said Alec. "I winna gang to the class
the day. I'll bide wi' you."

"Ye'll do nae sic thing. What's to come o' the buiks forbye, wantin'
you or me to luik efter them? An' the senawtus'll be sayin' that I got
my heid clured wi' fa'in' agen the curbstane."

"I'll tell them a' aboot it, ane efter anither o' them."

"Ay; jist do sae. Te