Mrs. Craigie, instead of accepting the advice of her "ne’er-do-weel" lodger, fell into a meditative mood. What could she be thinking about? Her Sabbath thoughts came to this, in their practical results--a proposal to Jock Hall to seize Mary as she was returning from church, and to bring her again under the protection of her dear old motherly friend. She could not, indeed, as yet take her from under the Sergeant’s roof by force, but could the Sergeant retake her if by any means she were brought back under _her_ roof? Jock, after some consideration, entertained the proposal, discussed it, and then came to terms. "What wull ye gie me?" he at last asked. "A glass o’ whuskey and a saxpence!" said Mrs. Craigie. "Ba! ba!" said Jock; "I’m nae bairn, but gleg and cannie, like a moudiewart! Saxpence! Ye ken as weel as I do, that if the Shirra--for, losh me! I ken baith him an’ the law ower weel!--if he heard ye were plottin’ an’ plannin’ to grip a bairn that way on the Sabbath, and paying me for helpin’ ye--my word! you and me wad be pit in jail; and though this micht be a comfort tae _me_--lodgings and vittals for naething, ye ken, and a visit to an auld hame--it wadna dae for a Christian woman like you, Luckie! Eh, lass? it wad never dae! What wad the minister and Smellie say? no’ to speak o’ the Sergeant?--hoo _he_ wad craw! Sae unless ye keep it as quait as death, an’ gie me half-a-crown, I’ll no pit my han’ on the bairn." "The bargain’s made!" said Mrs. Craigie. "But ye maun wait till I get a shilling mair frae Mrs. D’rymple, as I’ve nae change." "Tell her to come ben," said Jock. "Can ye trust her wi’ the secret? Ye should get her tae help ye, and tae swear, if it comes tae a trial, that the bairn cam’ tae ye o’ her ain free consent, mind. I’m ready, for half-a-crown mair, to gie my aith to the same effec’." "Ye’re no far wrang; that’s the plan!" said Mrs. Craigie. "I can trust Peggy like steel. An’ I’m sure Mary _does_ want to come tae me. That’s the truth and nae lee. Sae you and Peggy D’rymple may sweer a’ that wi’ a guid conscience." "But _my_ conscience," said Jock, "is no sae guid as yours or Peggy’s, an’ it’ll be the better o’ anither half-crown, in case I hae to sweer, to keep it frae botherin’ me. But I’ll gie ye credit for the money, an’ ye’ll gie me credit for what I awe ye for my meat and lodgin’ sin’ Monday." "A’ richt, a’ richt, Jock; sae be’t," replied Mrs. Craigie, as she went to fetch her neighbour, who lived on the same flat. Mrs. Dalrymple was made a member of the privy council which met in a few minutes in Mrs. Craigie’s room, the door being bolted. "I’m nae hypocrite," confessed Jock. "I scorn to be ane, as ye do; for _ye_ dinna preten’ to be unco guid, and better than ither folk, like Adam Mercer, or that godly man Smellie. I tell ye, then, I’m up to onything for money or drink. I’ll steal, I’ll rob, I’ll murder, I’ll----"