No him ! '' was the reply . `` I was far quicker mysel ' ; I was a clever chappie when I was young . Why , I could read as soon as he could . '' This puzzled me yet more ; and a thought coming into my head , I asked if he and my father had been twins . He jumped upon his stool , and the horn spoon fell out of his hand upon the floor . `` What gars ye ask that ? '' he said , and he caught me by the breast of the jacket , and looked this time straight into my eyes : his own were little and light , and bright like a bird 's , blinking and winking strangely . `` What do you mean ? '' I asked , very calmly , for I was far stronger than he , and not easily frightened . `` Take your hand from my jacket . This is no way to behave . '' My uncle seemed to make a great effort upon himself . `` Dod man , David , '' he said , `` ye should-nae speak to me about your father . That 's where the mistake is . '' He sat awhile and shook , blinking in his plate : `` He was all the brother that ever I had , '' he added , but with no heart in his voice ; and then he caught up his spoon and fell to supper again , but still shaking . Now this last passage , this laying of hands upon my person and sudden profession of love for my dead father , went so clean beyond my comprehension that it put me into both fear and hope . On the one hand , I began to think my uncle was perhaps insane and might be dangerous ; on the other , there came up into my mind -LRB- quite unbidden by me and even discouraged -RRB- a story like some ballad I had heard folk singing , of a poor lad that was a rightful heir and a wicked kinsman that tried to keep him from his own . For why should my uncle play a part with a relative that came , almost a beggar , to his door , unless in his heart he had some cause to fear him ? With this notion , all unacknowledged , but nevertheless getting firmly settled in my head , I now began to imitate his covert looks ; so that we sat at table like a cat and a mouse , each stealthily observing the other .
Not another word had he to say to me , black or white , but was busy turning something secretly over in his mind ; and the longer we sat and the more I XXXXX at him , the more certain I became that the something was unfriendly to myself .
asked fell jumped looked play said sat settled speak winking