60 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



" ' Well,' he said, ' if you will promise not to waste, 

 I will give you the keys.' 



" I replied that I had never done anything to my 

 knowledge contrary to his interest since I had been 

 in his service. 



" He answered that he had never had reason to 

 doubt me ; adding, ' There are the keys, and use your 

 own discretion.' " 



That little sketch is a gem in its way. It finely 

 exhibits the force of conscious integrity in trying 

 circumstances. Out of an incident that might have 

 been almost tragic in its effect upon a young and 

 sensitive spirit it evolves an innocent and reassuring 

 triumph, and, without noticing how the mischief- 

 maker had been discomfited by the very success of 

 his plot, it contrives to leave on the memory a kindly 

 impression even of the close-handed, narrow-minded 

 laird, since it is undoubtedly one part of virtue in a 

 man himself to be able to recognize virtue and trust 

 it in his fellow man. 



Ever, when the subject turned up about Sandy and 

 the bagpipes, the laird endeavoured to support the 

 notion that he really possessed them, while the others 

 always in a jesting way doubted the probability of 

 their ever seeing Newlandmoor. They said that they 

 should above all things like to hear Sandy playing 

 the bagpipes, considering that he was so wonderfully 

 fond of music, although they had never heard him 

 sing, whistle, or hum a tune. The laird seemed 

 annoyed at their continually doubting Sandy's 

 veracity, and they began to think that at last he was 

 himself beginning to doubt the truth of the stories 



