ybe so."

"If you don't think of yourself, you might think of your cousin."

"Edie can take very good care of herself."

"Well, then, the devil take you, and you may do what you like!" he
cried, in one of his sudden flushes of anger. Without a word of
farewell to either of us, he turned off upon the track that led up
towards his father's house. Bonaventure de Lapp smiled at me as we
walked on together.

"I didn't thought he liked me very much," said he. "I can see very well
that he has made a quarrel with you because you are taking me to your
home. What does he think of me then? Does he think perhaps that I have
stole the gold in my bag, or what is it that he fears?"

"Tut, I neither know nor care," said I. "No stranger shall pass our
door without a crust and a bed."

With my head cocked and feeling as if I was doing something very fine,
instead of being the most egregious fool south of Edinburgh, I marched
on down the path with my new acquaintance at my elbow.

CHAPTER VI.

A WANDERING EAGLE.

My father seemed to be much of Jim Horscroft's opinion; for he was not
over warm to this new guest and looked him up and down with a very
questioning eye. He set a dish of vinegared herrings before him,
however, and I noticed that he looked more askance than ever when my
companion ate nine of them, for two were always our portion. When at
last he had finished Bonaventure de Lapp's lids were drooping over his
eyes, for I doubt that he had been sleepless as well as foodless for
these three days. It was but a poor room to which I had led him, but he
threw himself down upon the couch, wrapped his big blue cloak around
him, and was asleep in an instant. He was a very high and strong
snorer, and, as my room was next to his, I had reason to remember that
we had a stranger within our gates.

When I came down in the morning, I found that he had been beforehand
with me; for he was seated opposite my father at the window-table in the
kitchen, their heads almost touching, and a little roll of gold pieces
between them. As I came in my father looked up at me, and I saw a light
of greed in his eyes such as I had never seen before. He caught up the
money with an eager clutch and swept it into his pocket.

"Very good, mister," said he; "the room's yours, and you pay always on
the third of the month."

"Ah! and here is my first friend," cried de Lapp, holding out his hand
to me with a smile which was kindly enough,