"It wad be a real treat till him!" exclaimed Mrs. Craigie; "and he wad befreen' ye a' yer life! An', Hall----"
"But," asked Jock, interrupting her, "what did ye say aboot poachin'? Was Adam in that line?"
"Him!" exclaimed Mrs. Craigie; "I'se warrant he was--notorious!"
"Hoo d'ye ken?" inquired Jock.
"Smellie telt me! but mind ye, he said I was to keep it quait till he gied me the wink, ye ken;" and Mrs. Craigie gave a knowing wink. She did not know that Smellie had already peached. "For hoo Smellie kent was this, that he had some sort o' business in the place whaur Mercer leeved--that's north in Bennock parish, afore he was a sodger; and Smellie picked up a' the story o' his poachin', for Smellie is awfu' shairp; but he wad never tell't till he could pit it like a gag into the prood mouth o' Adam; and Smellie says he'll pit it in noo, and let Adam crunch his teeth on't," said Mrs. Craigie, gnashing the few she had herself.
Hall manifested a singular inquisitiveness to know as much as possible about those poaching days, and their locality, until at last being satisfied, and having learned that the old keeper of Lord Bennock was still alive, though, as Mrs. Craigie said, "clean superannuat", and that he was, moreover, Adam's cousin, Jock said, "What an awfu' blackguard Adam maun be! If I had kent what I ken noo, I never wad hae gi'en him my boots to men'."
"Yer boots to men'!" exclaimed Mrs. Craigie, with astonishment; "what for did ye do that?"
"He had nae wark."
"Ser' him richt!" said Mrs. Craigie.
"And I patroneesed him," continued Jock.