thing I did, whan I cam' to mysel',
was to justify her afore God for lauchin at me. Hoo could onybody help
lauchin at me? It wasna her wyte. And eh! man, ye dinna ken hoo quaiet
and comfortable I was in my ain min', as sune's I had gotten her
justified to mysel' and had laid it doon that I was ane fit to be
lauchen at.--I winna lat you lauch at me, though, bantam. I tell ye
that."

"Mr Cupples! Laugh at you! I would rather be a doormat to the devil,'
exclaimed Alec.

"Thank you, bantam.--Weel, ye see, ance I had made up my min' aboot
that, I jist began followin' at her again like a hungry tyke that stops
the minute ye liuk roon efter him--I mean i' my thochts, ye ken--jist
as I had been followin' her, a' the time o' my fiver, throu the halls
o' heaven, as I thoucht them, whan they war only the sma'
crinkle-crankle convolutions o' my cerebral dome--a puir heaven for a
man to bide in! I hae learnt that waur and better than maist men, as
I'm gaein to tell ye; for it was for the sake o' that that I begud this
dismal story.--Whan I grew some better, and wan up--wad ye believe
't?--the kin'ness o' the auld, warpit, broon, wrinklet woman that
brocht me furth, me Cosmo Cupples, wi' the muckle hert and the sma'
body, began to console me a wee for the lauch o' that queen o'
white-skinned leddies. It was but a wee, ye ken; still it was
consolation. My mither thocht a heap o' me. Fowk thinks mair o' fowk,
the mair they are themsels. But I wat it was sma' honour I brocht her
hame, wi' my een brunt oot wi' greetin' for the mune.--I'll tell ye the
lave o' 't efter we win hame. I canna bide to be here i' the dark. It's
the quaiet beuks a' roon' me that I canna bide. It was i' the mids o'
beuks, i' the dark, that I heard that lauch. It jist blastit me and the
beuks and a' thing. They aye luik as gin they war hearin' 't. For the
first time I loot the gloamin come doon upo' me i' this same leebrary,
a' at ance I heard the sma' nicher o' a woman's lauch frae somewhaur in
or oot o' the warl'. I grew as het's hell, and was oot at the door in a
cat-loup. And as sure's death I'll hear't again, gin I bide ae minute
langer. Come oot wi' ye."

There was light in Mr Fraser's drawing-room, and a shadow flitted
across the blind. The frosty night, and the keenness of the stars, made
Mr Cupples shiver. Alec was in a feverous glow. When they reached home,
Mr Cupples went straight to the cupboard, swallowed a glass of the
_merum_, put coals on the