“’Then I am afraid that you would want a bigger sum than I could pay, MacIntosh,’ he said.  ’I have been a saving man, especially since I first thought of marrying, and I have laid by half my pay for the last eight years; but that would not go far towards the purchase of the place, for your profits in a year are as much as my savings of eight years.’  So I said to him, ’Well, we will get the place valued.  You will want half the money that you have saved to stock it well, the other half you shall pay me down; and I will give you five years to pay the rest, you paying me a tenth part every half year.’

“Well, sir, we struck a bargain on that.  The place has been valued, and on Saturday evening Morrison will come straight in and take it over.  He is a popular man in the regiment; and as he is only just leaving it he is known to them all, while there are not above a quarter of the men who knew me as a comrade in the old days.”

They then had a long talk over the sergeant’s new duties, and Hector gave him a plan of the new fortifications that he had drawn out, together with full instructions how they were to be carried out.

“The steward will arrange all about the tenants coming to work, and the proportion of labour that each will have to give.  As I have told you, he will manage all details of that kind, look after the indoor retainers, and see to the food.  You will have entire control of the garrison, of the tenants who will come to drill, and of the works on the fortifications.  You will find the steward a very pleasant and agreeable young man.  He will take his meals with you.  I have chosen a room for you, and you can have another near it for your two sergeants.  You can pay them at the same rate as sergeants of the regiment receive, and I need hardly say that the position will be a good deal better.  As commander of the garrison and castellan of the castle you will be called Captain MacIntosh, and as such you will be named in my letter appointing you to the post, and I propose that you shall receive the pay of captain.”

“The pay is immaterial, lad, I have been nigh twelve years here, and have laid by enough to keep me comfortably all my life, and as, so far as I can see, there will be nothing to spend down there, I don’t know what I should do with pay.”

“That is nonsense, MacIntosh.  You must draw the pay, and spend it as you like, or save it.  You must remember that I may be killed in the next battle I go into, and as I have no heirs the king will give the fief to someone else.  The newcomer might like myself have some friend who he might appoint castellan.”

“It would make no difference,” the other said.  “In addition to what I have saved I shall have the price of the cabaret.”

“That is not to the point, MacIntosh.  The steward has instructions to hand you your money monthly, while the garrison will be paid weekly.  If you choose to throw the money into the fosse, that is your own business, mine is to see that my castellan is paid.  I am going over at noon today to St. Denis, where my regiment is quartered, but will ride in on Saturday.  You must buy three horses for yourself and your sergeants; get good serviceable animals..  I have told the steward to repay you their cost when you arrive there; he has monies of mine in hand for all purposes.”