Early as he was, his fellow-traveller had preceded him.

Binnie found the Colonel in his sitting-room arrayed in what are called in Scotland his stocking-feet, already puffing the cigar, which in truth was seldom out of his mouth at any hour of the day.
He had a couple of bedrooms adjacent to this sitting-room, and when Binnie, as brisk and rosy about the gills as chanticleer, broke out in a morning salutation, "Hush," says the Colonel, putting a long finger up to his mouth, and advancing towards him as noiselessly as a ghost.
"What's in the wind now ?" asks the little Scot; "and what for have ye not got your shoes on ?" "Clive's asleep," says the Colonel, with a countenance full of extreme anxiety.
"The darling boy slumbers, does he ?" said the wag; "mayn't I just step in and look at his beautiful countenance whilst he's asleep, Colonel ?" "You may if you take off those confounded creaking shoes," the other answered, quite gravely; and Binnie turned away to hide his jolly round face, which was screwed up with laughter.
"Have ye been breathing a prayer over your rosy infant's slumbers, Tom ?" asks Mr.Binnie.
"And if I have, James Binnie," the Colonel said gravely, and his sallow face blushing somewhat, "if I have, I hope I've done no harm.

The last time I saw him asleep was nine years ago, a sickly little pale-faced boy in his little cot, and now, sir, that I see him again, strong and handsome, and all that a fond father can wish to see a boy, I should be an ungrateful villain, James, if I didn't--if I didn't do what you said just now, and thank God Almighty for restoring him to me." Binnie did not laugh any more.

"By George, Tom Newcome," said he, "you're just one of the saints of the earth.

If all men were like you there'd be an end of both our trades; there would be no fighting and no soldiering, no rogues and no magistrates to catch them." The Colonel wondered at his friend's enthusiasm, who was not used to be complimentary; indeed what so usual with him as that simple act of gratitude and devotion about which his comrade spoke to him?
To ask a blessing for his boy was as natural to him as to wake with the sunrise, or to go to rest when the day was over.