und that this had been their
parting; for, indeed, in another hundred paces they would have come in
view of the upper windows of the house. She walked slowly away, with a
wave back once or twice, and he stood looking after her. I waited until
she was some way off, and then down I came, but so taken up was he,
that I was within a hand's-touch of him before he whisked round upon me.
He tried to smile as is eye met mine.

"Ah, Jock," says he, "early afoot!"

"I saw you!" I gasped; and my throat had turned so dry that I spoke like
a man with a quinsy.

"Did you so?" said he, and gave a little whistle. "Well, on my life,
Jock, I'm not sorry. I was thinking of coming up to West Inch this very
day, and having it out with you. Maybe it's better as it is."

"You've been a fine friend!" said I.

"Well now, be reasonable, Jock," said he, sticking his hands into his
pockets and rocking to and fro as he stood. "Let me show you how it
stands. Look me in the eye, and you'll see that I don't lie. It's this
Way. I had met Edi--Miss Calder that is--before I came that morning,
and there were things which made me look upon her as free; and, thinking
that, I let my mind dwell on her. Then you said she wasn't free, but
was promised to you, and that was the worst knock I've had for a time.
It clean put me off, and I made a fool of myself for some days, and it's
a mercy I'm not in Berwick gaol. Then by chance I met her again--on my
soul, Jock, it was chance for me--and when I spoke of you she laughed at
the thought. It was cousin and cousin, she said; but as for her not
being free, or you being more to her than a friend, it was fool's talk.
So you see, Jock, I was not so much to blame, after all: the more so as
she promised that she would let you see by her conduct that you were
mistaken in thinking that you had any claim upon her. You must have
noticed that she has hardly had a word for you for these last two
weeks."

I laughed bitterly.

"It was only last night," said I, "that she told me that I was the only
man in all this earth that she could ever bring herself to love."

Jim Horscroft put out a shaking hand and laid it on my shoulder, while
he pushed his face forward to look into my eyes.

"Jock Calder," said he, "I never knew you tell a lie. You are not
trying to score trick against trick, are you? Honest now, between man
and man."

"It's God's truth," said I.

He stood looking at me, and his face had set