ne song in his budget:

"O come and gather round me, lads,
and help the chorus through,
When I tell you how we fought the French
on the plains of Waterloo."

He sang it in a high quavering voice with curious lapses in the vigour
of his singing and cloudings in the fire of his eyes, so that now and
then the company would have to jolt him awake to give the air more
lustily. Colonel Hall was there (of St John's) and Captain Sandy
Campbell of the Marines, Bob MacGibbon, old Lochgair, the Fiscal with
a ruffled shirt, and Doctor Anderson. The Paymaster's brothers were
not there, for though he was the brother with the money they were
field-officers and they never forgot it.

The chorus was ringing, the glasses and the Paymaster's stick were
rapping on the table, the Sergeant More, with a blue brattie tied tight
across his paunch to lessen its unsoldierly amplitude, went out and in
with the gill-stoups, pausing now and then on the errand to lean against
the door of the room with the empty tray in his hand, drumming on it
with his finger-tips and joining in the officers' owercome.

He turned in the middle of a chorus, for the boy was standing abashed in
the entry, his natural fears at meeting the Paymaster greatly increased
by the sound of revelry.

"Well, little hero," said the Sergeant More, in friendly Gaelic, "are
you seeking any one?"

"I was sent to see the Paymaster, if it's your will," said Gilian, with
his eyes falling below the scrutiny of this swarthy old sergeant.

"The Paymaster!" cried the landlord, shutting the door of the room ere
he said it, and uplifting farmed hands, "God's grace! do not talk of the
Paymaster here! He is Captain Campbell, mind, late of his Majesty's 46th
Foot, with a pension of L4 a week, and a great deal of money it is
for the country to be paying to a gentleman who never saw of wars but
skirmish with the Syke. Nothing but Captain, mind you, and do not forget
the salute, so, with the right hand up and thumb on a line with the
right eyebrow. But could your business not be waiting? If it is Miss
Mary who sent for him it is not very reasonable of her, for he is here
no longer than twenty minutes, and it is not sheepshead broth day, I
know, because I saw her servant lass down at the quay for herrings an
hour ago. Captain, mind, it must be that for him even with old soldiers
like myself. I would not dare Paymaster him, it is a name that has a
trade ri