o' that! An' I'm glaid o' 't. I'm glaid 'at he has me for ane
o' 's enemies, for I forgie him for ane; an' wuss him sae affrontit
wi' himsel' er' a' be dune, 'at he wad fain hide his heid in a
midden."

"Noo, noo, mither!" said the eldest son, who had not yet spoken, but
whose countenance had been showing a mighty indignation, "that's
surely as sair a bannin' as yon 'at Jock said."

"What, laddie! Wad ye hae a fellow-cratur live to a' eternity ohn
been ashamed o' sic a thing 's that? Wad that be to wuss him weel?
Kenna ye 'at the mair shame the mair grace? My word was the best
beginnin' o' better 'at I cud wuss him. Na, na, laddie! frae my
verra hert, I wuss he may be that affrontit wi' himsel' 'at he canna
sae muckle as lift up's een to h'aven, but maun smite upo' 's breist
an' say, 'God be mercifu' to me a sinner!' That's my curse upo'
him, for I wadna hae 'im a deevil. Whan he comes to think that
shame o' himsel', I'll tak him to my hert, as I tak the bairn he
misguidit. Only I doobt I'll be lang awa afore that, for it taks
time to fess a man like that till's holy senses."

The sixth of the family now entered, and his mother led him up to
the bed.

"The Lord preserve's!" cried Donal Grant, "it's the cratur!--An' is
that the gait they hae guidit him! The quaietest cratur an' the
willin'est!"

Donal began to choke.

"Ye ken him than, laddie?" said his mother.

"Weel that," answered Donal. "He's been wi' me an' the nowt ilka day
for weeks till the day."

With that he hurried into the story of his acquaintance with Gibbie;
and the fable of the brownie would soon have disappeared from
Daurside, had it not been that Janet desired them to say nothing
about the boy, but let him be forgotten by his enemies, till he grew
able to take care of himself. Besides, she said, their father might
get into trouble with the master and the laird, if it were known
they had him.

Donal vowed to himself, that, if Fergus had had a hand in the abuse,
he would never speak civil word to him again.

He turned towards the bed, and there were Gibbie's azure eyes wide
open and fixed upon him.

"Eh, ye cratur!" he cried; and darting to the bed, he took Gibbie's
face between his hands, and said, in a voice to which pity and
sympathy gave a tone like his mother's,

"Whaten a deevil was't 'at lickit ye like that? Eh! I wuss I had
the trimmin' o' him!"

Gibbie smiled.

"Has the ill-guideship ta'en the tongue frae