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not accepted it。 She was but a sickly plant grown in a hot…house。
On his death…bed he found a woman a hiding…place from the wind； a
covert from the tempest； the shadow of a great rock in a weary land！
A strong she…angel with mighty wings； Mary St。 John came behind him
as he fainted out of life； tempered the burning heat of the Sun of
Death； and laid him to sleep in the cool twilight of her glorious
shadow。 In the stead of trouble about a wilful； thoughtless girl；
he found repose and protection and motherhood in a great…hearted
woman。
For Ericson's sake； Robert made some effort to preserve the
acquaintance of Mr。 Lindsay and his daughter。 But he could hardly
keep up a conversation with Mr。 Lindsay； and Mysie showed herself
utterly indifferent to him even in the way of common friendship。 He
told her of Ericson's illness： she said she was sorry to hear it；
and looked miles away。 He could never get within a certain
atmosphere ofwhat shall I call it？ avertedness that surrounded
her。 She had always lived in a dream of unrealities； and the dream
had almost devoured her life。
One evening Shargar was later than usual in coming home from the
walk； or ramble rather； without which he never could settle down to
his work。 He knocked at Robert's door。
'Whaur do ye think I've been； Robert？'
'Hoo suld I ken； Shargar？' answered Robert； puzzling over a problem。
'I've been haein' a glaiss wi' Jock Mitchell。'
'Wha's Jock Mitchell？'
'My brither Sandy's groom； as I tellt ye afore。'
'Ye dinna think I can min' a' your havers； Shargar。 Whaur was the
comin' gentleman whan ye gaed to drink wi' a chield like that； wha；
gin my memory serves me； ye tauld me yersel' was i' the mids o' a'
his maister's deevilry？'
'Yer memory serves ye weel eneuch to be doon upo' me；' said Shargar。
'But there's a bit wordy 'at they read at the cathedral kirk the
last Sunday 'at's stucken to me as gin there was something by
ordinar' in 't。'
'What's that？' asked Robert； pretending to go on with his
calculations all the time。
'Ow； nae muckle； only this： 〃Judge not； that ye be not judged。〃I
took a lesson frae Jeck the giant…killer； wi' the Welsh giantwas
't Blunderbore they ca'd him？an' poored the maist o' my glaiss
doon my breist。 It wasna like ink； it wadna du my sark ony ill。'
'But what garred ye gang wi' 'im at a'？ He wasna fit company for a
gentleman。'
'A gentleman 's some saft gin he be ony the waur o' the company he
gangs in till。 There may be rizzons； ye ken。 Ye needna du as they
du。 Jock Mitchell was airin' Reid Rorie an' Black Geordie。 An'
says Ifor I wantit to ken whether I was sic a breme…buss
（broom…bush） as I used to besays I； 〃Hoo are ye； Jock Mitchell？〃
An' says Jock； 〃Brawly。 Wha the deevil are ye？〃 An' says I； 〃Nae
mair o' a deevil nor yersel'； Jock Mitchell； or Alexander； Baron
Rothie； eitherthough maybe that's no little o' ane。〃 〃Preserve
me！〃 cried Jock； 〃it's Shargar。〃〃Nae mair o' that； Jock；〃 says I。
〃Gin I bena a gentleman； or a' be dune；〃an' there I stack； for I
saw I was a muckle fule to lat oot onything o' the kin' to Jock。 And
sae he seemed to think； too； for he brak oot wi' a great guffaw； an'
to win ower 't； I jined； an' leuch as gin naething was farrer aff
frae my thochts than ever bein' a gentleman。 〃Whaur do ye pit up；
Jock？〃 I said。 〃Oot by here；〃 he answert； 〃at Luckie
Maitlan's。〃〃That's a queer place for a baron to put up； Jock；〃
says I。 〃There's rizzons；〃 says he； an' lays his forefinger upo' the
side o' 's nose； o' whilk there was hardly eneuch to haud it ohn
gane intil the opposit ee。 〃We're no far frae there；〃 says Ian'
deed I can hardly tell ye； Robert； what garred me say sae； but I
jist wantit to ken what that gentleman…brither o' mine was efter；
〃tak the horse hame；〃 says I〃I'll jist loup upo' Black
Geordiean' we'll hae a glaiss thegither。 I'll stan' treat。〃 Sae
he gae me the bridle； an' I lap on。 The deevil tried to get a
moufu' o' my hip； but； faith！ I was ower swack for 'im； an' awa we
rade。'
'I didna ken 'at ye cud ride； Shargar。'
'Hoots！ I cudna help it。 I was aye takin' the horse to the watter
at The Boar's Heid； or The Royal Oak； or Lucky Happit's； or The
Aucht an' Furty。 That's hoo I cam to ken Jock sae weel。 We war
guid eneuch frien's whan I didna care for leein' or sweirin'； an'
sic like。'
'And what on earth did ye want wi' 'im noo？'
'I tell ye I wantit to ken what that ne'er…do…weel brither o' mine
was efter。 I had seen the horses stan'in' aboot twa or three times
i' the gloamin'； an' Sandy maun be aboot ill gin he be aboot
onything。'
'What can 't maitter to you； Shargar； what a man like him 's aboot？'
'Weel； ye see； Robert； my mither aye broucht me up to ken a' 'at
fowk was aboot； for she said ye cud never tell whan it micht turn
oot to the weelfaur o' yer advantagegran' words！I wonner whaur
she forgathert wi' them。 But she was a terrible wuman； my mither；
an' kent a heap o' thingsmair nor 'twas gude to ken； maybe。 She
gaed aboot the country sae muckle； an' they say the gipsies she gaed
amang 's a dreadfu' auld fowk； an' hae the wisdom o' the Egyptians
'at Moses wad hae naething to do wi'。'
'Whaur is she noo？'
'I dinna ken。 She may turn up ony day。'
'There's ae thing； though； Shargar： gin ye want to be a gentleman；
ye maunna gang keekin' that gate intil ither fowk's affairs。'
'Weel； I maun gie 't up。 I winna say a word o' what Jock Mitchell
tellt me aboot Lord Sandy。'
'Ow； say awa'。'
'Na； na； ye wadna like to hear aboot ither fowk's affairs。 My
mither tellt me he did verra ill efter Watterloo till a fremt
（stranger） lass at Brussels。 But that's neither here nor there。 I
maun set aboot my version； or I winna get it dune the nicht。'
'What is Lord Sandy after？ What did the rascal tell you？ Why do
you make such a mystery of it？' said Robert； authoritatively； and in
his best English。
''Deed I cudna mak naething o' 'm。 He winkit an' he mintit （hinted）
an' he gae me to unnerstan' 'at the deevil was efter some lass or
ither； but whamy lad was as dumb 's the graveyard about that。 Gin
I cud only win at that； maybe I cud play him a plisky。 But he
coupit ower three glasses o' whusky； an' the mair he drank the less
he wad say。 An' sae I left him。'
'Well； take care what you're about； Shargar。 I don't think Dr。
Anderson would like you to be in such company；' said Robert； and
Shargar departed to his own room and his version。
Towards the end of the session Miss St。 John's reports of Ericson
were worse。 Yet he was very hopeful himself； and thought he was
getting better fast。 Every relapse he regarded as temporary； and
when he got a little better； thought he had recovered his original
position。 It was some relief to Miss St。 John to communicate her
anxiety to Robert。
After the distribution of the prizes； of which he gained three；
Robert wen