ited in vain for a
reply.

'Gang yer wa's,' she said at length. 'Mr. Innes and me has some business
to mak an en' o', an' we want nae assistance.'

Robert rejoined Shargar, who was still bemoaning the loss of his
sovereign. His face brightened when he saw its well-known yellow shine
once more, but darkened again as soon as Robert told him to what service
it was now devoted.

'It's my ain,' he said, with a suppressed expostulatory growl.

Robert threw the coin on the floor.

'Tak yer filthy lucre!' he exclaimed with contempt, and turned to leave
Shargar alone in the garret with his sovereign.

'Bob!' Shargar almost screamed, 'tak it, or I'll cut my throat.'

This was his constant threat when he was thoroughly in earnest.

'Cut it, an' hae dune wi' 't,' said Robert cruelly.

Shargar burst out crying.

'Len' me yer knife, than, Bob,' he sobbed, holding out his hand.

Robert burst into a roar of laughter, caught up the sovereign from the
floor, sped with it to the baker's, who refused to change it because he
had no knowledge of anything representing the sum of twenty shillings
except a pound-note, succeeded in getting silver for it at the bank, and
then ran to the soutar's.

After he left the parlour, the discussion of his fate was resumed and
finally settled between his grandmother and the school-master. The
former, in regard of the boy's determination to befriend the shoemaker
in the matter of music as well as of money, would now have sent him
at once to the grammar-school in Old Aberdeen, to prepare for the
competition in the month of November; but the latter persuaded her that
if the boy gave his whole attention to Latin till the next summer, and
then went to the grammar-school for three months or so, he would have an
excellent chance of success. As to the violin, the school-master said,
wisely enough:

'He that will to Cupar maun to Cupar; and gin ye kep (intercept) him
upo' the shore-road, he'll tak to the hill-road; an' I s' warran' a braw
lad like Robert 'll get mony a ane in Ebberdeen 'll be ready eneuch to
gie him a lift wi' the fiddle, and maybe tak him into waur company nor
the puir bed-ridden soutar; an' wi' you an' me to hing on to the tail o'
'im like, he canna gang ower the scar (cliff) afore he learns wit.'

'Hm!' was the old lady's comprehensive response.

It was further arranged that Robert should be informed of their
conclusion, and so roused to effort in anticipation of the trial upon