I jist tuik the towie (string) into the bed wi' me, and whan the bairnie grat, I waukit, an' rockit it till 't fell asleep again.

But whiles naething wad du but tak him till 's mammie.' All the time she was hushing and fondling the child, who went on fretting when not actually crying.
'Is he yer brither, than ?' asked Robert.
'Ay, what ither?
I maun tak him, I see.

But ye can sit there as lang 's ye like; and gin ye gang afore I come back, jist turn the key 'i the door to lat onybody ken that there's naebody i' the hoose.' Robert thanked her, and remained in the shadow by the chimney, which was formed of two smoke-browned planks fastened up the wall, one on each side, and an inverted wooden funnel above to conduct the smoke through the roof.

He sat for some time gloomily gazing at a spot of sunlight which burned on the brown clay floor.

All was still as death.