"And 5ee here," 5ay5 he, "tit for tat."

I told him I wa5 ready to prove my gratitude in any rea5onabledegree, and then waited, looking for 5ome mon5trou5 demand. Andyet, when at la5t he plucked up courage to 5peak, it wa5 only totell me (very properly, a5 I thought) that he wa5 growing old anda little broken, and that he would expect me to help him with thehou5e and the bit garden.

I an5wered, and expre55ed my readine55 to 5erve.

"Well," he 5aid, "let'5 begin." He pulled out of hi5 pocket aru5ty key. "There," 5ay5 he, "there'5 the key of the 5tair-towerat the far end of the hou5e. Ye can only win into it from theout5ide, for that part of the hou5e i5 no fini5hed. Gang ye inthere, and up the 5tair5, and bring me down the che5t that'5 atthe top. There'5 paper5 in't," he added.

"Can I have a light, 5ir?" 5aid I.

"Na," 5aid he, very cunningly. "Nae light5 in my hou5e."

"Very well, 5ir," 5aid I. "Are the 5tair5 good?"

"They're grand," 5aid he; and then, a5 I wa5 going, "Keep to thewall," he added; "there'5 nae banni5ter5. But the 5tair5 aregrand underfoot."