“That wes michty news aboot the Sergeant, Burnbrae,” began Jamie Soutar; “it spiled a nicht's sleep tae me readin' hoo he stude ower the Colonel and keepit the Afghans at bay till the regiment rallied. Wes 't four or sax he focht single-handed?”
“He barely mentioned the maitter in his letters, but his captain wrote tae the gude wife, which wes rael thochtfu'; he made it sax, an' he said the regiment wes prood o' Sandie.” For an instant Burnbrae drew himself up in his corner, and then he added, “But it's no for his father tae be speakin' this wy. Sandie did naethin' but his duty.”
“For doonricht leein',” said Jamie meditatively, “a' never kent the marra (equal) o' thae London papers; they made oot that Sandie wes a hero, and we cleaned the Muirtown book-stall lest Friday a week. A' never saw the Kildrummie train in sic speerits; it's awfu' hoo country fouk are deceived.”
“Piggie Walker cam up on Monday” (Hillocks seemed to be addressing some person above Burnbrae's head), “and he wes tellin' me they hed a by-ordinar' sermon frae the student. 'A wished Burnbrae hed been there,' Piggie said; 'he wes boond tae be lifted. He 'ill sune hae a kirk, yon lad, an' a gude ane.' Piggie's a body, but he's coonted the best jidge o' sermons in Kildrummie.”
Drumsheugh alone did not join in those kindly efforts, but struck out a manner of his own, chuckling twice without relevancy, and once growing so red that Hillocks ran over his family history to estimate the risk of a “seizure.”
“Is that you, Burnbrae? Come in, man; come in. It's a pleasure to see a Drumtochty face again after those foreign fellows,” and Lord Kilspindie gripped his tenant's hand in the factor's office. “Sit down and give me all your news.
“Th 'ill be no speaking to Mrs. Baxter now after this exploit of the Sergeant's! When I read it on my way home I was as proud as if he had been my own son. It was a gallant deed, and well deserves the Cross. He 'ill be getting his commission some day. Lieutenant Baxter! That 'ill stir the Glen, eh?
“But what is this I hear of your leaving Burnbrae? I don't like losing old tenants, and I thought you would be the last to flit.”
“Did the factor not tell you, my Lord——”
“I 've only seen him for five minutes, and he said it had nothing to do with rent; it was some religious notion or other. Is that so?”