I. Antecedents II. The Elder and his Starling III. The Starling a Disturber of the Peace IV. The Rev. Daniel Porteous V. The Sergeant and his Starling in Trouble VI. The Starling on his Trial VII. The Sergeant on his Trial VIII. The Conference in the Manse IX. Charlie’s Cot once More Occupied X. The Sergeant Alone with the Starling XI. The Old Soldier and his Young Pupil on Sunday Evening XII. Adam Mercer, Sergeant, but not Elder XIII. Jock Hall, the Ne’er-do-Weel XIV. Jock Hall’s Conspiracy XV. Jock Hall’s Journey XVI. Fishers and Fishing XVII. The Keeper’s Home XVIII. The Keeper’s Letter XIX. Extremes Meet XX. Jock Hall’s Return XXI. The Quack XXII. Corporal Dick XXIII. Corporal Dick at the Manse XXIV. Dr. Scott and his Servant XXV. Mr. Smellie’s Diplomacy XXVI. The Starling Again in Danger XXVII. The Sergeant’s Sickness and his Sick-Nurse XXVIII. Mr. Porteous Visits the Sergeant XXIX. The Minister Pure and Peaceable XXX. "A Man’s a Man for a’ That" List of Illustrations "Here he is! Tak’ him and finish him" _Frontispiece_ "Are you aware, Mr. Mercer, of what has just happened?" "I’ll keep Mary" "I was but axin’ a ceevil question, Mr. Spence" THE STARLING CHAPTER I ANTECEDENTS "The man was aince a poacher!" So said, or rather breathed with his hard wheezing breath, Peter Smellie, shopkeeper and elder, into the ears of Robert Menzies, a brother elder, who was possessed of a more humane disposition. They were conversing in great confidence about the important "case" of Sergeant Adam Mercer. What that case was, the reader will learn by and by. The only reply of Robert Menzies was, "Is’t possible!" accompanied by a start and a steady gaze at his well-informed brother. "It’s a fac’ I tell ye," continued Smellie, "but ye’ll keep it to yersel’--keep it to yersel’, for it doesna do to injure a brither wi’oot cause; yet it’s richt ye should ken what a bad beginning our freen’ has had. Pit your thumb on’t, however, in the _meantime_--keep it, as the minister says, _in retentis_, which I suppose means, till needed." Smellie went on his way to attend to some parochial duty, nodding and smiling, and again admonishing his brother to "keep it to himsel’." He seemed unwilling to part with the copyright of such a spicy bit of gossip. Menzies inwardly repeated, "A poacher! wha would have thocht it? At the same time, I see----" But I will not record the harmonies, real or imaginary, which Mr. Menzies so clearly perceived between the early and latter habits of the Sergeant.