“Man! he’s in a droll key about it!” said the Paymaster, breaking the silence. “What in all the world is his vexation?” Miss Mary put down her handkerchief impatiently and loaded Gilian at her side with embarrassing attentions. “What--in--all--the--world--is--his vexation?” mocked the Cornal in the Captain’s high and squeaking voice, reddening at the face and his scar purpling. “That’s a terribly stupid question to put, Jock. What--in--all--the--world--is--his--vexation? If you had the soger’s heart and your brother’s past you would not be asking what an ancient’s sorrow at his own lost strength might mean. Oh, man, man! make a pretence at spirit even if the Almighty denied it to you!” He tossed the letter from him, almost in his brother’s face. The Paymaster held his anger in leash. He was incapable of comprehending and he was, too, afraid. With a forced laugh, he pressed the creases from the document. “Oh, I’m glad enough to see the corps,” said he, “if that’s what you mean. If I have not your honours from the Army, I’m as fond of Geordie’s uniform as any man of my years. I’ll get the best billets in the town for----” The Cornal scowled and interjected, “Ay, ay, and you’ll make all the fraca that need be about the lads, and cock your hat to the fife, and march and act the veteran as if you were Moore himself, but you’ll be far away from knowing what of their pomp and youth is stirring the hearts of your brother Dugald and me. The Army is all bye for us, Jock, Boney’s by the heels; there’s younger men upon the roster if the foreign route is called again in the barrack yard.” His glance fell upon Gilian, wide-eyed, wonderful, in the shade beside Miss Mary’s chair, and he turned to him with a different accent. “There _you_ are!” said he, “my wan-faced warlock. What would Colin Campbell, Commander of the Bath, not give to be your age again and all the world before him? Do you say your prayers at night, laddie, before you go to your naked bed in the garret? I’ll warrant Mary taught you that if she taught you nothing else. Pray every night then that Heaven may give you thew and heart and a touch of the old Hielan’ glory that this mechanic body by my side has got through the world wanting. Oh, laddie, laddie, what a chance is yours! To hear the drum in the morning and see the sun glint on the line; to sail away and march with pipe or bugle in foreign countries; to have a thousand good companions round about the same camp-fires and know the lift and splendour of parades in captured towns. It’s all bye for me; I’m an old pensioner rotting to the tomb in a landward burgh packed with relics like myself, and as; God’s in heaven, I often wish I was with brother Jamie yonder fallen in my prime with a clod stopping the youth and spirit in my throat.” “Tut, tut, now we’re in our flights!” said the Paymaster, not very audibly, so that in his transport the Cornal never heard.