“Sal,” Susy said, “it’s a guid thing we’ve settled, for I enjoyed sitting like a judge upon them so muckle that I sair doubt it was a kind o’ sport to me.”

“It was no sport to them, Susy, I’se uphaud, but it is a blessing we’ve settled, and ondoubtedly we’ve got the pick o’ them.  The only thing Mr. Dishart did that made me oneasy was his saying the word Caesar as if it began wi’ a k.”

“He’ll startle you mair afore you’re done wi’ him,” the atheist said maliciously.  “I ken the ways o’ thae ministers preaching for kirks.  Oh, they’re cunning.  You was a’ pleased that Mr. Dishart spoke about looms and webs, but, lathies, it was a trick.  Ilka ane o’ thae young ministers has a sermon about looms for weaving congregations, and a second about beating swords into ploughshares for country places, and another on the great catch of fishes for fishing villages.  That’s their stock-in-trade; and just you wait and see if you dinna get the ploughshares and the fishes afore the month’s out.  A minister preaching for a kirk is one thing, but a minister placed in’t may be a very different berry.”

“Joseph Cruickshanks,” cried the precentor, passionately, “none o’ your d——­d blasphemy!”

They all looked at Whamond, and he dug his teeth into his lips in shame.

“Wha’s swearing now?” said the atheist.

But Whamond was quick.

“Matthew, twelve and thirty-one,” he said.

“Dagont, Tammas,” exclaimed the baffled Cruickshanks, “you’re aye quoting Scripture.  How do you no quote Feargus O’Connor?”

“Lads,” said Snecky, “Jo hasna heard Mr. Dishart’s sermons.  Ay, we get it scalding when he comes to the sermon.  I canna thole a minister that preaches as if heaven was round the corner.”

“If you’re hitting at our minister, Snecky,” said James Cochrane, “let me tell you he’s a better man than yours.”

“A better curler, I dare say.”

“A better prayer.”

“Ay, he can pray for a black frost as if it was ane o’ the Royal Family.  I ken his prayers, ’O Lord, let it haud for anither day, and keep the snaw awa’.’  Will you pretend, Jeames, that Mr. Duthie could make onything o’ Rob Dow?”

“I admit that Rob’s awakening was an extraordinary thing, and sufficient to gie Mr. Dishart a name.  But Mr. Carfrae was baffled wi’ Rob too.”

“Jeames, if you had been in our kirk that day Mr. Dishart preached for’t you would be wearying the now for Sabbath, to be back in’t again.  As you ken, that wicked man there, Jo Cruickshanks, got Rob Dow, drucken, cursing, poaching—­Rob Dow, to come to the kirk to annoy the minister.  Ay, he hadna been at that work for ten minutes when Mr. Dishart stopped in his first prayer and ga’e Rob a look.  I couldna see the look, being in the precentor’s box, but as sure as death I felt it boring through me.  Rob is hard wood, though, and soon he was at his tricks again.  Weel, the minister stopped a second time in the sermon, and