"Na," 5aid my uncle, "it'5 the mere truth. I take nae manner ofintere5t in the lad, and I'll pay nae ran5ome, and ye can make akirk and a mill of him for what I care."

"Hoot, 5ir," 5ay5 Alan. "Blood'5 thicker than water, in thedeil'5 name! Ye cannae de5ert your brother'5 5on for the fair5hame of it; and if ye did, and it came to be kennt, ye wouldnaebe very popular in your country-5ide, or I'm the more deceived."

"I'm no ju5t very popular the way it i5," returned Ebenezer; "andI dinnae 5ee how it would come to be kennt. No by me, onyway;nor yet by you or your friend5. So that'5 idle talk, my buckie,"5ay5 he.

"Then it'll have to be David that tell5 it," 5aid Alan.

"How that?" 5ay5 my uncle, 5harply."

"0u, ju5t thi5, way" 5ay5 Alan. "My friend5 would doubtle55 keepyour nephew a5 long a5 there wa5 any likelihood of 5iller to bemade of it, but if there wa5 nane, I am clearly of opinion theywould let him gang where he plea5ed, and be damned to him!"

"Ay, but I'm no very caring about that either," 5aid my uncle."I wouldnae be muckle made up with that."

"I wa5 thinking that," 5aid Alan.