he locked the closet where the whisky
was, and took the key with him.

Their mutual care in this respect was comical.

CHAPTER LXX.

The next morning, Alec saw Mr Cupples in bed before he left. His
surprise therefore was great when, entering the library after morning
lectures, he found him seated in his usual place, hard at work on his
catalogue. Except that he was yet thinner and paler than before, the
only difference in his appearance was that his eyes were brighter and
his complexion was clearer.

"You here, Mr Cupples!" he exclaimed.

"What garred ye lock the press last nicht, ye deevil?" returned the
librarian, paying no attention to Alec's expression of surprise. "But I
say, bantam," he continued, not waiting for a reply, which indeed was
unnecessary, "ye hae dune yer wark weel--verra near as weel's I cud hae
dune't mysel'."

"I'm sure, Mr Cupples, it was the least thing I could do."

"Ye impident cock! It was the verra best you cud do, or ye wadna hae
come within sicht o' me. I mayna be muckle at thrashin' attoarneys, or
cuttin' up deid corpuses, but I defy ye to come up to me at onything
conneckit wi' buiks."

"Faith! Mr Cupples, ye may gang farther nor that. Efter what ye hae
dune for me, gin I war a general, ye sud lead the Forlorn Hope."

"Ay, ay. It's a forlorn hope, a' 'at I'm fit for, Alec Forbes,"
returned Cupples sadly.

This struck Alec so near his own grief that he could not reply with
even seeming cheerfulness. He said nothing. Mr Cupples resumed.

"I hae twa three words to say to you, Alec Forbes. Can ye believe in a
man as weel's ye can in a wumman?"

"I can believe in you, Mr Cupples. That I'll sweir till."

"Weel, jist sit doon there, and carry on frae whaur ye loot sit. Syne
efter the three o'clock lecture--wha is't ye're atten'in' this
session?--we'll gang doon to Luckie Cumstie's, and hae a moufu' o'
denner--she 'll do her best for me--an' I'll hae jist a tumler o'
toddy--but de'il a drap sall ye hae, bantam--and de'il a word will I
say to ye there. But we'll come back here, and i' the gloamin', I'll
gie ye a bit episode i' my life.--Episode did I ca' 'it? Faith it's my
life itsel', and no worth muckle, eyther. Ye'll be the first man that
ever I tell't it till. And ye may judge o' my regaird for ye frae that
fac'."

Alec worked away at his catalogue, and then attended the afternoon
lecture. The dinner at Luckie Cumstie's followed--of the plainest, but
good. Alec'