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said； in a tone of one who had just arrived at an important
resolution：
'Betty； we'll jist awa' up the stair an' luik。'
'Weel； mem； I hae nae objections。'
'Nae objections！ What for suld you or ony ither body hae ony
objections to me gaein' whaur I like i' my ain hoose？ Umph！'
exclaimed Mrs。 Falconer； turning and facing her maid。
'In coorse； mem。 I only meant I had nae objections to gang wi' ye。'
'And what for suld you or ony ither woman that I paid twa pun' five
i' the half…year till； daur to hae objections to gaein' whaur I
wantit ye to gang i' my ain hoose？'
'Hoot； mem！ it was but a slip o' the tonguenaething mair。'
'Slip me nae sic slips； or ye'll come by a fa' at last； I doobt；
Betty；' concluded Mrs。 Falconer； in a mollified tone； as she turned
and led the way from the room。
They got a candle in the kitchen and proceeded up…stairs； Mrs。
Falconer still leading； and Betty following。 They did not even look
into the ga'le…room； not doubting that the dignity of the best
bed…room was in no danger of being violated even by Robert； but took
their way upwards to the room in which he kept his
school…booksalmost the only articles of property which the boy
possessed。 Here they found nothing suspicious。 All was even in the
best possible ordernot a very wonderful fact； seeing a few books
and a slate were the only things there besides the papers on the
shelves。
What the feelings of Shargar must have been when he heard the steps
and voices； and saw the light approaching his place of refuge； we
will not change our point of view to inquire。 He certainly was as
little to be envied at that moment as at any moment during the whole
of his existence。
The first sense Mrs。 Falconer made use of in the search after
possible animals lay in her nose。 She kept snuffing constantly；
but； beyond the usual musty smell of neglected apartments； had as
yet discovered nothing。 The moment she entered the upper garret；
however
'There's an ill…faured smell here； Betty；' she said； believing that
they had at last found the trail of the mystery； 'but it's no like
the smell o' rabbits。 Jist luik i' the nuik there ahin' the door。'
'There's naething here；' responded Betty。
'Roon the en' o' that kist there。 I s' luik into the press。'
As Betty rose from her search behind the chest and turned towards
her mistress； her eyes crossed the cavernous opening of the bed。
There； to her horror； she beheld a face like that of a galvanised
corpse staring at her from the darkness。 Shargar was in a sitting
posture； paralysed with terror； waiting； like a fascinated bird；
till Mrs。 Falconer and Betty should make the final spring upon him；
and do whatever was equivalent to devouring him upon the spot。 He
had sat up to listen to the noise of their ascending footsteps； and
fear had so overmastered him； that he either could not； or forgot
that he could lie down and cover his head with some of the many
garments scattered around him。
'I didna say whusky； did I？' he kept repeating to himself； in utter
imbecility of fear。
'The Lord preserve 's！' exclaimed Betty； the moment she could speak；
for during the first few seconds； having caught the infection of
Shargar's expression； she stood equally paralysed。 'The Lord
preserve 's！' she repeated。
'Ance is eneuch；' said Mrs。 Falconer； sharply； turning round to see
what the cause of Betty's ejaculation might be。
I have said that she was dim…sighted。 The candle they had was
little better than a penny dip。 The bed was darker than the rest of
the room。 Shargar's face had none of the more distinctive
characteristics of manhood upon it。
'Gude preserve 's！' exclaimed Mrs。 Falconer in her turn： 'it's a
wumman。'
Poor deluded Shargar； thinking himself safer under any form than
that which he actually bore； attempted no protest against the
mistake。 But； indeed； he was incapable of speech。 The two women
flew upon him to drag him out of bed。 Then first recovering his
powers of motion； he sprung up in an agony of terror； and darted out
between them； overturning Betty in his course。
'Ye rouch limmer！' cried Betty； from the floor。 'Ye lang…leggit
jaud！' she added； as she roseand at the same moment Shargar banged
the street…door behind him in his terror'I wat ye dinna carry yer
coats ower syde （too long）！'
For Shargar； having discovered that the way to get the most warmth
from Robert's great…grandfather's kilt was to wear it in the manner
for which it had been fabricated； was in the habit of fastening it
round his waist before he got into bed； and the eye of Betty； as she
fell； had caught the swing of this portion of his attire。
But poor Mrs。 Falconer； with sunken head； walked out of the garret
in the silence of despair。 She went slowly down the steep stair；
supporting herself against the wall； her round…toed shoes creaking
solemnly as she went； took refuge in the ga'le…room； and burst into
a violent fit of weeping。 For such depravity she was not prepared。
What a terrible curse hung over her family！ Surely they were all
reprobate from the womb； not one elected for salvation from the
guilt of Adam's fall； and therefore abandoned to Satan as his
natural prey； to be led captive of him at his will。 She threw
herself on her knees at the side of the bed； and prayed
heart…brokenly。 Betty heard her as she limped past the door on her
way back to her kitchen。
Meantime Shargar had rushed across the next street on his bare feet
into the Crookit Wynd； terrifying poor old Kirstan Peerie； the
divisions betwixt the compartments of whose memory had broken down；
into the exclamation to her next neighbour； Tam Rhin； with whom she
was trying to gossip：
'Eh； Tammas！ that'll be ane o' the slauchtert at Culloden。'
He never stopped till he reached his mother's deserted
abodestrange instinct！ There he ran to earth like a hunted fox。
Rushing at the door； forgetful of everything but refuge； he found
it unlocked； and closing it behind him； stood panting like the hart
that has found the water…brooks。 The owner had looked in one day to
see whether the place was worth repairing； for it was a mere
outhouse； and had forgotten to turn the key when he left it。 Poor
Shargar！ Was it more or less of a refuge that the mother that bore
him was not there either to curse or welcome his return？ Lessif
we may judge from a remark he once made in my hearing many long
years after：
'For； ye see；' he said； 'a mither's a mither； be she the verra
de'il。'
Searching about in the dark； he found the one article unsold by the
landlord； a stool； with but two of its natural three legs。 On this
he balanced himself and waitedsimply for what Robert would do； for
his faith in Robert was unbounded； and he had no other hope on
earth。 But Shargar was not miserable。 In that wretched hovel； his
bare feet clasping the clay floor in constant search of a wa