'
'I daur ye to touch the coat or onything 'ither that's i' that
press.'
'Weel, weel, grannie. I s' gang and get my lessons for the morn.'
'It's time, laddie. Ye hae been jabberin' ower muckle. Tell Betty
to come and tak' awa' the tay-things.'
Robert went to the kitchen, got a couple of hot potatoes and a
candle, and carried them up-stairs to Shargar, who was fast asleep.
But the moment the light shone upon his face, he started up, with
his eyes, if not his senses, wide awake.
'It wasna me, mither! I tell ye it wasna me!'
And he covered his head with both arms, as if to defend it from a
shower of blows.
'Haud yer tongue, Shargar. It's me.'
But before Shargar could come to his senses, the light of the candle
falling upon the blue coat made the buttons flash confused
suspicions into his mind.
'Mither, mither,' he said, 'ye hae gane ower far this time. There's
ower mony o' them, and they're no the safe colour. We'll be baith
hangt, as sure's there's a deevil in hell.'
As he said thus, he went on trying to pick the buttons from the
coat, taking them for sovereigns, though how he could have seen a
sovereign at that time in Scotland I can only conjecture. But
Robert caught him by the shoulders, and shook him awake with no
gentle hands, upon which he began to rub his eyes, and mutter
sleepily:
'Is that you, Bob? I hae been dreamin', I doobt.'
'Gin ye dinna learn to dream quaieter, ye'll get you and me tu into
mair trouble nor I care to hae aboot ye, ye rascal.
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