'Weel, I never said I wadna tell ye a' aboot it.The fac' 's this--an' I'm no' up to the leein' as I used to be, Robert: I hae tried it ower an' ower, but a lee comes rouch throw my thrapple (windpipe) noo.Faith! I cud hae leed ance wi' onybody, barrin'
the de'il.I winna lee.I'm nae leein'.The fac's jist this: Icudna bide ahin' ye ony langer.'
'But what, the muckle lang-tailed deevil! am I to do wi' ye?'
returned Robert, in real perplexity, though only pretended displeasure.
'Gie me something to ate, an' I'll tell ye what to do wi' me,'
answered Shargar.'I dinna care a scart (scratch) what it is.'
Robert rang the bell and ordered some porridge, and while it was preparing, Shargar told his story--how having heard a rumour of apprenticeship to a tailor, he had the same night dropped from the gable window to the ground, and with three halfpence in his pocket had wandered and begged his way to Aberdeen, arriving with one halfpenny left.
'But what am I to do wi' ye?' said Robert once more, in as much perplexity as ever.
'Bide till I hae tellt ye, as I said I wad,' answered Shargar.
'Dinna ye think I'm the haveless (careless and therefore helpless)crater I used to be.I hae been in Aberdeen three days! Ay, an' Ihae seen you ilka day in yer reid goon, an' richt braw it is.Luik ye here!'
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out what amounted to two or three shillings, chiefly in coppers, which he exposed with triumph on the table.
'Whaur got ye a' that siller, man?' asked Robert.
'Here and there, I kenna whaur; but I hae gien the weicht o' 't for 't a' the same--rinnin' here an' rinnin' there, cairryin' boxes till an' frae the smacks, an' doin' a'thing whether they bade me or no.
Yesterday mornin' I got thrippence by hingin' aboot the Royal afore the coches startit.I luikit a' up and doon the street till I saw somebody hine awa wi' a porkmanty.Till 'im I ran, an' he was an auld man, an' maist at the last gasp wi' the weicht o' 't, an' gae me 't to carry.An' wha duv ye think gae me a shillin' the verra first nicht?--Wha but my brither Sandy?'
'Lord Rothie?'
'Ay, faith.I kent him weel eneuch, but little he kent me.There he was upo' Black Geordie.He's turnin' auld noo.'
'Yer brither?'
'Na.He's young eneuch for ony mischeef; but Black Geordie.What on earth gars him gang stravaguin' aboot upo' that deevil? I doobt he's a kelpie, or a hell-horse, or something no canny o' that kin';for faith! brither Sandy's no ower canny himsel', I'm thinkin'.But Geordie--the aulder the waur set (inclined).An' sae I'm thinkin'
wi' his maister.'
'Did ye iver see yer father, Shargar?'
'Na.Nor I dinna want to see 'im.I'm upo' my mither's side.But that's naething to the pint.A' that I want o' you 's to lat me come hame at nicht, an' lie upo' the flure here.I sweir I'll lie i' the street gin ye dinna lat me.I'll sleep as soun' 's Peter MacInnes whan Maccleary's preachin'.An' I winna ate muckle--I hae a dreidfu' pooer o' aitin'--an' a' 'at I gether I'll fess hame to you, to du wi' 't as ye like.--Man, I cairriet a heap o' things the day till the skipper o' that boat 'at ye gaed intil wi' Maister Ericson the nicht.He's a fine chiel' that skipper!'
Robert was astonished at the change that had passed upon Shargar.