eight
at night
But , as I was sayin ' , my mither -- '' On the death of the father there remained golden-haired Kirstie , who took service with her distant kinsfolk , the Rutherfords , and black-a-vised Gilbert , twenty years older , who farmed the Cauldstaneslap , married , and begot four sons between 1773 and 1784 , and a daughter , like a postscript , in ' 97 , the year of Camperdown and Cape St. Vincent . It seemed it was a tradition in the family to wind up with a belated girl . In 1804 , at the age of sixty , Gilbert met an end that might be called heroic . He was due home from market any time from eight at night till five in the morning , and in any condition from the quarrelsome to the speechless , for he maintained to that age the goodly customs of the Scots farmer . It was known on this occasion that he had a good bit of money to bring home ; the word had gone round loosely . The laird had shown his guineas , and if anybody had but noticed it , there was an ill-looking , vagabond crew , the scum of Edinburgh , that drew out of the market long ere it was dusk and took the hill-road by Hermiston , where it was not to be believed that they had lawful business . One of the country-side , one Dickieson , they took with them to be their guide , and dear he paid for it !