“'Dinna be cast doon,' says the Doctor tae me ootside; 'ye hevna seen the end o' this game.' The man disna live 'at can beat the Doctor when his birse is up, an' a' never saw him sae roosed afore!
“Whar's the factor noo?” burst out Drumsheugh afresh. “Man, a' wud hae liked tae see him when he brocht in the lease. 'I wes here before ye, and I will be here aifter ye,' said the Doctor. It 'ill come true; a' gie the factor a month, no anither week.
“It's wersh drink ye hae, but dinna spare it. This is no an ordinar' day. A' wish we were at the Junction.”
Drumsheugh restrained himself till the Dunleith train had fairly gone—for he knew better than to anticipate an occasion—and then he gathered Drumtochty round him.
“Ye herd that the factor ordered Burnbrae tae leave his kirk, weel, it 'ill be a while or he meddle wi' anither man: an' Burnbrae wes tae be turned oot o' his fairm, it's the factor, a'm judgin', an' no Burnbrae, 'at 'ill need tae seek a hame; an' the factor wudna gie a lease for fifteen year, he's hed tae mak it oot for ane and twenty; an' he wudna tak a rack rent o' saxty pund increase tae let Burnbrae bide in his hoose, an' his Lordship 'ill no tak a penny mair than the auld rent. That's ma news, fouk, an' it's the best a've herd for mony a day.”
Then they all shook hands with Burnbrae, from Netherton to Peter Bruce, and they called in an outer fringe of Kildrummie to rejoice with them; but Burnbrae could only say:
“Thank ye, freends, frae ma hert; ye've been gude neeburs tae me and mine.”
“It's been a michty victory,” said Jamie Soutar, as they moved to the third, “but a' can see drawbacks.”
“Ay, ay,” which was a form of inquiry with Hillocks.
“Naebody 'ill be able tae tell a lee or play a Judas trick in Drumtochty for the space of a generation.”