“The piper’s gey (_considerably_) brokken-like the day,” said one of the fishermen’s wives to a neighbour as he passed them--the fact being that he had not yet recovered from his second revel in the pipes so soon after the exhaustion of his morning’s duty, and was, in consequence, more asthmatic than usual. “I doobt he’ll be slippin’ awa some cauld nicht,” said the other: “his leevin’ breath’s ill to get.” “Ay; he has to warstle for ’t, puir man! Weel, he’ll be missed, the blin’ body! It’s exterordinar hoo he’s managed to live, and bring up sic a fine laad as that Malcolm o’ his.” “Weel, ye see, Providence has been kin’ till _him_ as weel ’s ither blin’ craturs. The toon’s pipin’ ’s no to be despised; an’ there’s the cryin’, an’ the chop, an’ the lamps. ’Deed he’s been an eident (_diligent_) cratur--an’ for a blin’ man, as ye say, it’s jist exterordinar.” “Div ye min’ whan first he cam’ to the toon, lass?” “Ay; what wad hinner me min’in’ that? It’s nae sae lang. Ma’colm ’at’s sic a fine laad noo, they tell me wasna muckle bigger nor a gey haddie (_tolerable haddock_).” “But the auld man was an auld man than, though nae doobt he’s unco’ failed sin syne.” “A dochter’s bairn, they say, the laad.” “Ay, they say, but wha kens? Duncan could never be gotten to open his mou’ as to the father or mither o’ ’im, an’ sae it weel may be as they say. It’s nigh twenty year noo, I’m thinkin’ sin he made ’s appearance. Ye wasna come frae Scaurnose er than.” “Some fowk says the auld man’s name’s no MacPhail, an’ he maun hae come here in hidin’ for some rouch job or ither ’at he’s been mixed up wi’.” “I s’ believe nae ill o’ sic a puir, hairmless body. Fowk ’at maks their ain livin’, wantin’ the een to guide them, canna be that far aff the straucht. Guid guide ’s! we hae eneuch to answer for, oor ainsels, ohn passed (_without passing_) jeedgment upo ane anither.” “I was but tellin’ ye what fowk telled me,” returned the younger woman. “Ay, ay, lass; I ken that, for I ken there was fowk to tell ye.” CHAPTER VII. ALEXANDER GRAHAM.