Of course, you'll not know, for I think you didn't come to Berwick yourself until after I'd left the neighbourhood--but I was connected with the Hathercleugh estate from the time I was a lad until fifteen years ago, when I gave up the steward's job and went to live on a bit of property of my own, near Alnwick.

Of course, I knew the two sons--Michael and Gilbert; and I remember well enough when, owing to perpetual quarrelling with their father, he gave them both a good lot of money and they went their several ways.

And after that, neither ever came back that I heard of, nor did I ever come across either, except on one occasion--to which I'll refer in due course.

In time, as I've just said, I retired; in time, too, Sir Alexander died, and I heard that, Mr.Michael being dead in the West Indies, Sir Gilbert had come into the title and estates.

I did think, once or twice, of coming over to see him; but the older a man gets, the fonder he is of his own fireside--and I didn't come here, nor did I ever hear much of him; he certainly made no attempt to see me.