'

The doctor smiled a far-off sly smile.

'I think it was rather the Katabasis, if one might venture to judge from
the direction of your labours.'

'Weel,' answered Robert, 'what wad ye hae me do? Wad ye hae me lat Mr.
Ericson gang wi' holes i' the heels o' 's hose, whan I can mak them a'
snod, an' learn my Greek at the same time? Hoots, doctor! dinna lauch at
me. I was doin' nae ill. A body may please themsel's--whiles surely, ohn
sinned.'

'But it's such waste of time! Why don't you buy him new ones?'

''Deed that's easier said than dune. I hae eneuch ado wi' my siller as
'tis; an' gin it warna for you, doctor, I do not ken what wad come o'
's; for ye see I hae no richt to come upo' my grannie for ither fowk.
There wad be nae en' to that.'

'But I could lend you the money to buy him some stockings.'

'An' whan wad I be able to pay ye, do ye think, doctor? In anither
warl' maybe, whaur the currency micht be sae different there wad be no
possibility o' reckonin' the rate o' exchange. Na, na.'

'But I will give you the money if you like.'

'Na, na. You hae dune eneuch already, an' mony thanks. Siller's no sae
easy come by to be wastit, as lang's a darn 'll do. Forbye, gin ye began
wi' his claes, ye wadna ken whaur to haud; for it wad jist be the new
claith upo' the auld garment: ye micht as weel new cleed him at ance.'

'And why not if I choose, Mr. Falconer?'

'Speir ye that at him, an' see what ye'll get--a luik 'at wad fess a
corbie (carrion crow) frae the lift (sky). I wadna hae ye try that. Some
fowk's poverty maun be han'let jist like a sair place, doctor. He
canna weel compleen o' a bit darnin'.--He canna tak that ill,' repeated
Robert, in a tone that showed he yet felt some anxiety on the subject;
'but new anes! I wadna like to be by whan he fand that oot. Maybe he
micht tak them frae a wuman; but frae a man body!--na, na; I maun jist
darn awa'. But I'll mak them dacent eneuch afore I hae dune wi' them. A
fiddler has fingers.'

The doctor smiled a pleased smile; but when he got into his carriage,
again he laughed heartily.

The evening deepened into night. Robert thought Ericson was asleep. But
he spoke.

'Who is that at the street door?' he said.

They were at the top of the house, and there was no window to the
street. But Ericson's senses were preternaturally acute, as is often the
case in such illnesses.

'I dinna hear onybody,' answered Robert.

'There was somebody,' returned Ericson.