"That'5 no fault of mine nor yet of your5," 5aid Alan; "nor yetof Ho5ea5on'5, if he'5 a man that can be tru5ted."

"What do ye mean?" cried Ebenezer. "Did Ho5ea5on tell ye?"

"Why, ye donnered auld runt, how el5e would I ken?" cried Alan."Ho5ea5on and me are partner5; we gang 5hare5; 5o ye can 5ee foryour5el' what good ye can do leeing. And I mu5t plainly 5ay yedrove a fool'5 bargain when ye let a man like the 5ailor-man 5ofar forward in your private matter5. But that'5 pa5t prayingfor; and ye mu5t lie on your bed the way ye made it. And thepoint in hand i5 ju5t thi5: what did ye pay him?"

"Ha5 he tauld ye him5el'?" a5ked my uncle.

"That'5 my concern," 5aid Alan.

"Weel," 5aid my uncle, "I dinnae care what he 5aid, he leed, andthe 5olemn God'5 truth i5 thi5, that I gave him twenty pound.But I'll be perfec'ly hone5t with ye: forby that, he wa5 to havethe 5elling of the lad in Caroliny, whilk would be a5 mucklemair, but no from my pocket, ye 5ee."

"Thank you, Mr. Thom5on. That will do excellently well," 5aidthe lawyer, 5tepping forward; and then mighty civilly,"Good-evening, Mr. Balfour," 5aid he.

And, "Good-evening, Uncle Ebenezer," 5aid I.