scalded　than　turned　out　to　be　the　case。　　He　darted　to　him　in　rage；
  took　the　tureen　from　his　head；　and；　his　blood　being　fairly　up　now；
  flung　it　with　all　his　force　at　Morrison；　and　felled　him　to　the
  earth。　　At　the　same　moment　the　master　entered　by　the　street　door　and
  his　wife　by　the　house　door；　which　was　directly　opposite。　　In　the
  middle　of　the　room　the　prisoners　surrounded　the　fallen
  tyrantRobert；　with　the　red　face　of　wrath；　and　Shargar；　with　a
  complexion　the　mingled　result　of　tears；　ink；　and　soup；　which　latter
  clothed　him　from　head　to　foot　besides；　standing　on　the　outskirts　of
  the　group。　　I　need　not　follow　the　story　farther。　　Both　Robert　and
  Morrison　got　a　lickin'；　and　if　Mr。　Innes　had　been　like　some
  school…masters　of　those　times；　Shargar　would　not　have　escaped　his
  share　of　the　evil　things　going。
  》From　that　day　Robert　assumed　the　acknowledged　position　of　Shargar's
  defender。　　And　if　there　was　pride　and　a　sense　of　propriety　mingled
  with　his　advocacy　of　Shargar's　rights；　nay；　even　if　the　relation　was
  not　altogether　free　from　some　amount　of　show…off　on　Robert's　part；　I
  cannot　yet　help　thinking　that　it　had　its　share　in　that　development
  of　the　character　of　Falconer　which　has　chiefly　attracted　me　to　the
  office　of　his　biographer。　　There　may　have　been　in　it　the　exercise　of
  some　patronage；　probably　it　was　not　pure　from　the　pride　of
  beneficence；　but　at　least　it　was　a　loving　patronage　and　a　vigorous
  beneficence；　and；　under　the　reaction　of　these；　the　good　which　in
  Robert's　nature　was　as　yet　only　in　a　state　of　solution；　began　to
  crystallize　into　character。
  But　the　effect　of　the　new　relation　was　far　more　remarkable　on
  Shargar。　　As　incapable　of　self…defence　as　ever；　he　was　yet　in　a
  moment　roused　to　fury　by　any　attack　upon　the　person　or　the　dignity
  of　Robert：　so　that；　indeed；　it　became　a　new　and　favourite　mode　of
  teasing　Shargar　to　heap　abuse；　real　or　pretended；　upon　his　friend。
  》From　the　day　when　Robert　thus　espoused　his　part；　Shargar　was
  Robert's　dog。　　That　very　evening；　when　she　went　to　take　a　parting
  peep　at　the　external　before　locking　the　door　for　the　night；　Betty
  found　him　sitting　upon　the　door…step；　only；　however；　to　send　him
  off；　as　she　described　it；　'wi'　a　flech1　in　's　lug　（a　flea　in　his
  ear）。'　　For　the　character　of　the　mother　was　always　associated　with
  the　boy；　and　avenged　upon　him。　　I　must；　however；　allow　that　those
  delicate；　dirty　fingers　of　his　could　not　with　safety　be　warranted
  from　occasional　picking　and　stealing。
  At　this　period　of　my　story；　Robert　himself　was　rather　a
  grotesque…looking　animal；　very　tall　and　lanky；　with　especially　long
  arms；　which　excess　of　length　they　retained　after　he　was　full…grown。
  In　this　respect　Shargar　and　he　were　alike；　but　the　long　legs　of
  Shargar　were　unmatched　in　Robert；　for　at　this　time　his　body　was
  peculiarly　long。　　He　had　large　black　eyes；　deep　sunk　even　then；　and
  a　Roman　nose；　the　size　of　which　in　a　boy　of　his　years　looked
  portentous。　　For　the　rest；　he　was　dark…complexioned；　with　dark　hair；
  destined　to　grow　darker　still；　with　hands　and　feet　well　modelled；
  but　which　would　have　made　four　feet　and　four　hands　such　as
  Shargar's。
  When　his　mind　was　not　oppressed　with　the　consideration　of　any
  important　metaphysical　question；　he　learned　his　lessons　well；　when
  such　was　present；　the　Latin　grammar；　with　all　its　attendant
  servilities；　was　driven　from　the　presence　of　the　lordly　need。　　That
  once　satisfied　in　spite　of　pandies　and　imprisonments；　he　returned
  with　fresh　zest；　and；　indeed；　with　some　ephemeral　ardour；　to　the
  rules　of　syntax　or　prosody；　though　the　latter；　in　the　mode　in　which
  it　was　then　and　there　taught；　was　almost　as　useless　as　the　task　set
  himself　by　a　worthy　lay…preacher　in　the　neighbourhoodof　learning
  the　first　nine　chapters　of　the　first　Book　of　the　Chronicles；　in
  atonement　for　having；　in　an　evil　hour　of　freedom　of　spirit；　ventured
  to　suggest　that　such　lists　of　names；　even　although　forming　a　portion
  of　Holy　Writ；　could　scarcely　be　reckoned　of　equally　divine　authority
  with　St。　Paul's　Epistle　to　the　Romans。
  CHAPTER　VIII。
  THE　ANGEL　UNAWARES。
  Although　Betty　seemed　to　hold　little　communication　with　the　outer
  world；　she　yet　contrived　somehow　or　other　to　bring　home　what　gossip
  was　going　to　the　ears　of　her　mistress；　who　had　very　few　visitors；
  for；　while　her　neighbours　held　Mrs。　Falconer　in　great　and　evident
  respect；　she　was　not　the　sort　of　person　to　sit　down　and　have　a　news
  with。　　There　was　a　certain　sedate　self…contained　dignity　about　her
  which　the　common　mind　felt　to　be　chilling　and　repellant；　and　from
  any　gossip　of　a　personal　naturewhat　Betty　brought　her　always
  exceptedshe　would　turn　away；　generally　with　the　words；　'Hoots！　　I
  canna　bide　clashes。'
  On　the　evening　following　that　of　Shargar's　introduction　to　Mrs。
  Falconer's　house；　Betty　came　home　from　the　butcher'sfor　it　was
  Saturday　night；　and　she　had　gone　to　fetch　the　beef　for　their
  Sunday's　brothwith　the　news　that　the　people　next　door；　that　is；
  round　the　corner　in　the　next　street；　had　a　visitor。
  The　house　in　question　had　been　built　by　Robert's　father；　and　was；
  compared　with　Mrs。　Falconer's　one…storey　house；　large　and　handsome。
  Robert　had　been　born；　and　had　spent　a　few　years　of　his　life　in　it；
  but　could　recall　nothing　of　the　facts　of　those　early　days。　　Some
  time　before　the　period　at　which　my　history　commences　it　had　passed
  into　other　hands；　and　it　was　now　quite　strange　to　him。　　It　had　been
  bought　by　a　retired　naval　officer；　who　lived　in　it　with　his
  wifethe　only　Englishwoman　in　the　place；　until　the　arrival；　at　The
  Boar's　Head；　of　the　lady　so　much　admired　by　Dooble　Sanny。
  Robert　was　up…stairs　when　Betty　emptied　her　news…bag；　and　so　heard
  nothing　of　this　bit　of　gossip。　　He　had　just　assured　Shargar　that　as
  soon　as　his　grandmother　was　asleep　he　would　look　about　for　what　he
  could　find；　and　carry　it　up　to　him　in　the　garret。　　As　yet　he　had
  confined　the　expenditure　out　of　Shargar's　shilling　to　twopence。
  The　household　always　retired　earlyearlier　on　Saturday　night　in
  preparation　for　the　Sabbathand　by　ten　o'clock　grannie　and　Betty
  were　in　bed。　　Robert；　indeed；　was　in　bed　too；　but　he　had　lain　down
  in　his　clothes；　waiting　for　such　time　as　might　afford　reasonable
  hope　of　his　grandmother　being　asleep；　when　he　might　both　ease
  Shargar's　hunger　and　get　to　sleep　himself。　　Several　times　he　got　up；
  resolved　to　make　his　attempt；　but　as　often　his　courage　failed　and　he
  lay　down　again；　sure　that　grannie　could　not　be　asleep　yet。　　When　the
  clock　beside　him　struck　eleven；　he　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and
  finally　rose　to　do　his　endeavour。
  Opening　the　door　of　the　closet　slowly　and　softly；　he　crept　upon　his
  hands　and　knees　into　the　middle　of　the　parlour；　feeling　very　much
  like　a　thief；　as；　indeed；　in　a　measure　he　was；　though　from　a
  blameless　motive。　　But　just　as　he　had　accomplished　half　the　distance
  to　the　door；　he　was　arrested　and　fixed　with　terror；　for　a　deep　sigh
  came　from　grannie's　bed；　followed　by　the　voice　of　words。　　He　thought
  at　first　that　she　had　heard　him；　but　he　soon　found　that　he　was
  mistaken。　　Still；　the　fear　of　discovery　held　him　there　on　all　fours；
  like　a　chained　animal。　　A　dull　red　gleam；　faint　and　dull；　from　the
  embers　of　the　fire；　was　the　sole　light　in　the　room。　　Everything　so
  common　to　his　eyes　in　the　daylight　seemed　now　strange　and　eerie　in
  the　dying　coals；　and　at　what　was　to　the　boy　the　unearthly　hour　of
  the　night。
  He　felt　that　he　ought　not　to　listen　to　grannie；　but　terror　made　him
  unable　to　move。
  'Och　hone！　och　hone！'　said　grannie　from　the　bed。　'I've　a　sair；　sair
  hert。　　I've　a　sair　hert　i'　my　breist；　O　Lord！　thoo　knowest。　　My　ain
  Anerew！　　To　think　o'　my　bairnie　that　I　cairriet　i'　my　ain　body；　that
  sookit　my　breists；　and　leuch　i'　my　faceto　think　o'　'im　bein'　a
  reprobate！　　O　Lord！　cudna　he　be　eleckit　yet？　　Is　there　nae　turnin'
  o'　thy　decrees？　　Na；　na；　that　wadna　do　at　a'。　　But　while　there's
  life　there's　houp。　　But　wha　kens　whether　he　be　alive　or　no？　　Naebody
  can　tell。　　Glaidly　wad　I　luik　upon　's　deid　face　gin　I　cud　believe
  that　his　sowl　wasna　amang　the　lost。　　But　eh！　the　torments　o'　that
  place！　and　the　reik　that　gangs　up　for　ever　an'　ever；　smorin'
  （smothering）　the　stars！　　And　my　Anerew　doon　i'　the　hert　o'　't
  cryin'！　　And　me　no　able　to　win　till　him！　　O　Lord！　　I　canna　say　thy
  will　be　done。　　But　dinna　lay　't　to　my　chairge；　for　gin　ye　was　a
  mither　yersel'　ye　wadna　pit　him　there。　　O　Lord！　　I'm　verra
  ill…fashioned。　　I　beg　yer　pardon。　　I'm　near　oot　o'　my　min'。　　Forgie
  me；　O　Lord！　for　I　hardly　ken　what　I'm　sayin'。　　He　was　my　ain　babe；
  my　ain　Anerew；　and　ye　gae　him　to　me　yersel'。　　And　noo　he's　for　the
  finger　o'　scorn　to　pint　at；　an　ootcast　an'　a　wan'erer　frae　his　ain
  country；　an'　daurna　come　within　sicht　o'　't　for　them　'at　wad　tak'
  the　law　o'　'm。　　An'　it's　a'　drinkdrink　an'　ill　company！　　He　wad
  hae　dune　weel　eneuch　gin　they　wad　only　hae　latten　him　be。　　What　for
  maun　men　be　aye　drink…drinkin'　at　something