(leaping in a cask).'

Then he stood silent once more, with a look as if anything would be
welcome to break the monotony.

While he stood a gentle timorous tap came to the door, so gentle
indeed that Betty in the kitchen did not hear it, or she, tall and
Roman-nosed as she was, would have answered it before the
long-legged dreamer could have reached the door, though he was not
above three yards from it. In lack of anything better to do, Robert
stalked to the summons. As he opened the door, these words greeted
him:

'Is Robert at--eh! it's Bob himsel'! Bob, I'm byous (exceedingly)
cauld.'

'What for dinna ye gang hame, than?'

'What for wasna ye at the schuil the day?'

'I spier ae queston at you, and ye answer me wi' anither.'

'Weel, I hae nae hame to gang till.'

'Weel, and I had a sair heid (a headache). But whaur's yer hame
gane till than?'

'The hoose is there a' richt, but whaur my mither is I dinna ken.
The door's lockit, an' Jeames Jaup, they tell me 's tane awa' the
key. I doobt my mither's awa' upo' the tramp again, and what's to