"Nae wunner," said Jock; "ye had somethin’ tae lose, but I had naethin’. What could he dae to me but put me oot o’ the hoose? and I was gaun oot mysel’. Jock Ha’ is ower far doon for ony mortal man tae pit him doon farther. He may be better, but he canna be waur. Naebody can hurt a dead doug, can they?" "Tuts, Jock, my puir fallow," said Hugh, "I didna mean to flyte on ye. I ax yer pardon." "Gae awa, gae awa wi’ yer nonsense, Mr. Spence!" replied Jock--"that’s what naebody ever did, to ax my pardon, and it’s no’ for a man like you tae begin. Ye micht as weel ax a rattan’s pardon for eatin’ a’ yer cheese! In troth I’m no gi’en mysel tae that fashion o’ axin’ pardons, for it wad be a heap o’ trouble for folk to grant them. But, man, if I got wark, I would maybe be able to ax pardon o’ a dacent man, and tae get it tae for the axin’!" "I’ll no’ forget ye, I do assure ye," said Spence, kindly. "You and me if I’m no mista’en ’ill meet afore lang up the way at the cottage. His lordship is willin’ tae gie ye wark, and sae am I and my faither." Jock could not resist the new emotion which prompted him to seize the keeper’s hand and give it a hearty squeeze. On the strength of the renewed friendship, he offered him a snuff. The keeper, from commands received from his lordship, found that he could not accompany Jock as far on his road as he had anticipated, but was obliged to part with him where his path to Drumsylie led across the moorland. Here they sat down on a heathery hill, when Spence said, "Afore we part, I wad like tae ken frae yersel’, Jock, hoo _ye_ are a freen’ tae Adam Mercer?" "I never said I was a freen’ tae Adam Mercer," replied Jock. Hugh, as if for the first time suspecting Hall of deception, said firmly, "But ye did that! I declare ye did, and my faither believed ye!" "I never did sic a thing!" said Jock, as firmly, in reply. "For I couldna do’t wi’oot a lee, and _that_ I never telt tae you or yours, although in my day I hae telt ither folk an unco’ heap tae ser’ my turn. What I said was that Adam Mercer was a freen’ tae me." Hugh, not quite perceiving the difference yet, asked, "Hoo was he a freen’ tae you?" "I’ll tell ye," said Jock, looking earnestly at Hugh. "Had a man ta’en ye into his hoose, and fed ye whan stervin’, and pit shoon on ye whan barefitted, and spak’ to ye, no’ as if ye war a brute beast, and whan naebody on yirth ever did this but himsel’, I tak’ it ye wad understan’ what a freen’ was! Mind ye, that I’m no sic a gomeril--bad as I am--or sae wantin’ in decency as to even tae mysel’ to be the Sergeant’s freen’; but as I said, and wull say till I dee, he was _my_ freen’!" "What way war ye brocht up that ye cam to be sae puir as to need Adam’s assistance or ony ither man’s? Ye surely had as guid a chance as ony o’ yer neebors?"