“Milton hed been sairly tried wi' the ither man's warldliness, walkin' on Sabbath an' sic-like, an' he wes sayin' in the train that he felt like Jacob wi' Esau all the time. It's grand tae hae the poor o' Bible illustration. A thoo-sand wud juist stock Milton fine, an' leave a note or twa in the bank.
“What a'm feared for is that some misguided Drumtochty man micht try tae tak advantage o' Milton in a bargain an' get a jidgment. Providence, ye ken, watches ower thae simple-minded craturs, an' it's juist wunnerfu' hoo they come aff in the end. But a'm dootin' that he's no strong; he hes tae tak care o' himsel.”
As the fathers waited patiently for more, Jamie continued in his most casual tone:
“He cairried a box in his hand Friday a week, an' pit it ablow the seat in the kerridge; it wes aboot auchteen inches square and nine deep, an' markit 'Hoggs' Patent Soap;' thae new soaps are brittle; a' dinna wunner he wes carefu'.
“Ye sud hae heard him on the drinkin' at Muirtown market an' the duty of total abstinence; he wantit Hillocks tae tak the pledge at the Junction, but Drumtochty fouk's dour an' ill tae manage.
“Milton wes that agitat when he got tae Kildrummie that he lat his box fa' on the platform; a' wes juist wunnerin' whether they sell soap in bottles noo, when he said, 'It 's ma medee-cine, for the circulation o' the blood; a 'm a frail vessel.'
“A' thocht that we micht hae been kinder tae Milton, an' him sic a sufferer; twelve quart bottles is a sair allowance o' medeecine for ae puir man,” and a far-away look came into Jamie's face.
Jamie's interest in Milton deepened every week, till he seemed to charge himself with the vindication of Milton's character against all aspersions, and its interpretation to a critical public. When it passed round Kildrummie fair that that guileless man had landed a cow on Mary Robertson at a high price, which was fair to look upon, but had a fixed objection to giving milk, Jamie declared it was an invention of the enemy, and assured Milton of his unshaken confidence in the presence of seven solemnised neighbours.
“Some ill-set wratches,” he apologised to Milton, “canna bear the sicht o' a raelly gude man, an' are aye gettin' up stories aboot him. Tae think ye wud cheat a puir wumman aboot a coo.”
“We maun juist bear reproach,” began Milton, with his best accent.