It micht ha' been you or me for
that maitter, doctor.'
'I beg your pardon, Robert,' said Dr. Anderson quietly, although
delighted with the fervour of his young kinsman: 'I only wanted to
know how he came to be your companion.'
'I beg your pardon, doctor--but I thoucht ye was some scunnert at
it; an' I canna bide Shargar to be luikit doon upo'. Luik here,' he
continued, going to his box, and bringing out Shargar's little heap
of coppers, in which two sixpences obscurely shone, 'he brocht a'
that hame last nicht, an' syne sleepit upo' the rug i' my room
there. We'll want a' 'at he can mak an' me too afore we get Mr.
Ericson up again.'
'But ye haena tellt me yet,' said the doctor, so pleased with the
lad that he relapsed into the dialect of his youth, 'hoo ye cam to
forgather wi' 'im.'
'I tellt ye a' aboot it, doctor. It was a' my grannie's doin', God
bless her--for weel he may, an' muckle she needs 't.'
'Oh! yes; I remember now all your grandmother's part in the story,'
returned the doctor. 'But I still want to know how he came here.'
'She was gaein' to mak a taylor o' 'm: an' he jist ran awa', an' cam
to me.'
'It was too bad of him that--after all she had done for him.'
'Ow, 'deed no, doctor. Even whan ye boucht a man an' paid for him,
accordin' to the Jewish law, ye cudna mak a slave o' 'im for
a'thegither, ohn him seekin' 't himsel'.--Eh! gin she could only get
my father hame!' sighed Robert, after a pause.
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