And besides," says he, "ye forget the lad's my brother's son." "Well, well," said Alan, "and now about the price.

It's no very easy for me to set a name upon it; I would first have to ken some small matters.
I would have to ken, for instance, what ye gave Hoseason at the first off-go ?" "Hoseason!" cries my uncle, struck aback.

"What for ?" "For kidnapping David," says Alan.
"It's a lee, it's a black lee!" cried my uncle.

"He was never kidnapped.
He leed in his throat that tauld ye that.

Kidnapped?
He never was!" "That's no fault of mine nor yet of yours," said Alan; "nor yet of Hoseason's, if he's a man that can be trusted." "What do ye mean ?" cried Ebenezer.