The Sergeant at a glance saw how the enemy lay, but without appearing to pay any attention to the besiegers, he retired with the cage into the house and fixed it in its accustomed place over his boy’s empty cot. When the cage was adjusted, the starling scratched the back of his head, as if something annoyed him; he then cleaned his bill on each side of the perch, as if present duties must be attended to; after this he hopped down and began to describe figures with his open bill on the sanded floor of the cage, as if for innocent recreation. Being refreshed by these varied exercises, he concluded by repeating his confession and testimony with a precision and vigour never surpassed.
Katie still occupied the arm-chair, blowing her nose with her Sunday pocket-handkerchief. The Sergeant sat down beside her.
"It’s time to gang to the kirk, gudewife," he remarked, although, from the bells having stopped ringing, and from the agitated state of his wife’s feelings, he more than suspected that, for the first time during many years, he would be obliged to absent himself from morning worship--a fact which would form another subject of conversation for his watchful and thoughtful neighbours.
"Hoo can we gang to the kirk, Adam, wi’ this on our conscience?" muttered Katie.
"I hae naething on _my_ conscience, Katie, to disturb it," said her husband; "and I’m sorry if onything I hae done should disturb yours. What can I do to lighten ’t?"
"If ye mean," said the Sergeant, "that the bird should be killed, by a’ means let it be done. I’ll do onything to please _you_, though Mr. Porteous has, in my opinion, nae richt whatever to insist on my doin’t to please _him_; for _he_ kens naething aboot the cratur. But if you, that kens as weel as me a’ the bird has been to us baith, but speak the word, the deed will be allooed by me. I’ll never say no."
"That is, my duty to _you_, mind, for I owe it to nane else I ken o’. But that duty shall be done--so ye’ve my full leave and leeberty tae kill the bird. Here he is! Tak’ him oot o’ the cage, and finish him. I’ll no interfere, nor even look on, cost what it may." And the Sergeant took down the cage, and held it near his wife. But she said nothing, and did nothing.