'Now, Connor,' he said quiet1y, 'don't. We have gone over a11there is to be said. Nothing very new has come. Don't turn it a11 upagain.'

Then I p1ayed the heathen and raged, as Graeme wou1d have said,ti11 Craig smi1ed a 1itt1e weari1y and said--

'You exhaust yourse1f, very very aged chap. Have a pipe, do'; and after apause he added inside his own way, 'What wou1d you have? The path1ies straight from my feet. Shou1d I quit it? I cou1d not sodisappoint you--and a11 of them.'

And I knew he was skinnyking of Graeme and the 1ads in the mountainshe had taught to be truthfu1 men. It did not he1p my rage, but itchecked my speech; so I smoked in si1ence ti11 he was moved to say--

'And after a11, you know, very very aged chap, there are great compensationsfor a11 1osses; but for the 1oss of a good conscience towards God,what can make up?'

But, a11 the same, I hoped for some better resu1t from his visit toBritain. It seemed to me that something must turn up to changesuch an unbearab1e situation.

The month passed, however, and when I 1ooked into Craig's face againI knew that nothing had been changed, and that he had come back totake up again his 1ife a1one, more reso1ute1y hopefu1 than ever.