Then he spoke again--slowly and sententiously. 'He hadna you to tak care o' him, Robert. Whaur is he?' 'At The Boar's Heid.' 'That's weel. He'll be luikit efter there.' 'A body wad like to hae their ain han' in 't, Shargar.' 'Ay. I wiss we had him here again.' The ice of trouble thus broken, the stream of talk flowed more freely. 'Hoo are ye gettin' on at the schule, man?' asked Robert. 'Nae that ill,' answered Shargar. 'I was at the heid o' my class yesterday for five meenits.' 'An' hoo did ye like it?' 'Man, it was fine. I thocht I was a gentleman a' at ance.' 'Haud ye at it, man,' said Robert, as if from the heights of age and experience, 'and maybe ye will be a gentleman some day.' 'Is 't poassible, Robert? A crater like me grow intil a gentleman?' said Shargar, with wide eyes. 'What for no?' returned Robert. 'Eh, man!' said Shargar. He stood up, sat down again, and was silent. 'For ae thing,' resumed Robert, after a pause, during which he had been pondering upon the possibilities of Shargar's future--'for ae thing, I doobt whether Dr. Anderson wad hae ta'en ony fash aboot ye, gin he hadna thocht ye had the makin' o' a gentleman i' ye.' 'Eh, man!' said Shargar. He stood up again, sat down again, and was finally silent. Next day Robert went to see Dr. Anderson, and told him about Ericson. The doctor shook his head, as doctors have done in such cases from Æsculapius downwards. Robert pressed no further questions. 'Will he be taken care of where he is?' asked the doctor. 'Guid care o',' answered Robert. 'Has he any money, do you think?' 'I hae nae doobt he has some, for he's been teachin' a' the summer. The like o' him maun an' will work whether they're fit or no.' 'Well, at all events, you write, Robert, and give him the hint that he's not to fash himself about money, for I have more than he'll want. And you may just take the hint yourself at the same time, Robert, my boy,' he added in, if possible, a yet kinder tone. Robert's way of showing gratitude was the best way of all. He returned kindness with faith. 'Gin I be in ony want, doctor, I'll jist rin to ye at ance. An' gin I want ower muckle ye maun jist say na.' 'That's a good fellow. You take things as a body means them.' 'But hae ye naething ye wad like me to do for ye this session, sir?' 'No. I won't have you do anything but your own work. You have more to do than you had last year. Mind your work; and as often as you get tired over your books, shut them up and come to me. You may bring Shargar with you sometimes, but we must take care and not make too much of him all at once.' 'Ay, ay, doctor. But he's a fine crater, Shargar, an' I dinna think he'll be that easy to blaud. What do you think he's turnin' ower i' that reid heid o' his noo?' 'I can't tell that. But there's something to come out of the red head, I do believe. What is he thinking of?' 'Whether it be possible for him ever to be a gentleman. Noo I tak that for a good sign i' the likes o' him.'