Foes

know well enough that it was the Sabbath. The flowers knew it that edged the kitchen garden, the cherry-tree knew

aid the two cotter lasses who served at White Farm. These by now had off their kirk things, but they marked Sunday still by keeping shoes and stockings. Menie and Merran, Elspeth and Jenny, set the yesterday-prepared dinner cold upon the table, drew the ale, and place

he running river, the dale and moor, and at last the piled hills. Here he sat, leaning hands upon a great stick shaped like a crook, his Bible open upon his knees. It was a great book, large of print, read over in every part, but opening most easily among the prophets. No cry, no denunciation, no longing, no ju

ready.-Robin! we didn't

k with the laird. Then I thoug

Grandfather, let

hen, standing, he said the long, the earnest grace, it might have been taken that here, in the Scotch farm-house, was at least a minor prophet. The grace was long, a true wrestling in prayer. Ended, a decent pause was made, then all took place, Jarvis Barrow and his daughter and granddaughter, Robin Greenlaw, Thomas and Willy, Menie and Merran. The cold meat, the bread, and other food were passed from hand to hand, the ale poured. The Sunday hush, the Sunday voices, cont

was your crack

s Jardine. He's got his ensign's

lad on Warlock! I thou

ll to Gl

hae talk, Robin, of buying and selling on the day! I

te of cold mutton. "Glenfernie was na at kirk.

"Bairns dinna walk nowa

d jumping wind and rain, and we a' gat under a tree, the yowes and the dogs and Glenfernie and Drummielaw and me. Then we changed gude day and they went on gabbing. And 'Nae,' says Glenfernie, 'I am nae lawyer and I am nae sod

omas, "that he's lost

! He came by yestreen, and I thought, 'For a' there is

ckle tae be saved,

spiritual things, maybe they can mak shift to haud the tongue in their chafts! I wad

nodded

did not find just the wo

s. A slow wave of color came over her face and throat. Menie and Merran looked sidelong each at

eenister gaed thae s

but an eedifyin

e. "If I should say just what I think, I suppose, uncle, that I could not come here again! So I'll e'en say only that I think that was a sair sight and that I felt great shame and pity for all sinners. So, feeling it for all, I felt it for Mallie and Jock, standing there an hour, first on one fo

down upon the table

clatter, for in this house what clatter makes any difference? It's the sin

ey looked somewhat alike, and in the heart of each was fondness for th

id not mean to

d gae were ye na my nephew, but my son!" He gathered force. "Elder of the kirk, I sit here, and I tell ye that were it my ain flesh and blood that did evil, my stick and my plaid I wad take and ower the moor I wad gae to tell manse and parish that Sin, the wolf, had crept into the fauld! And I wad see thae folly-crammed and sinfu' sauls, that had let him in and had his bite, set for shame and shawing and warning and example before the congregation, and I wad say to the minister, 'Lift voice against them and spare not!' And I wad be there the day and in my seat, though my heart o' flesh was like to bre

, armored in belief. They heard him take his Bible from where it lay, and knew that he

omas, "the elder i

ate in silence. Elspeth

hinny?" asked Jenny. "

. "I'm going to afternoon kir

shared with Gilian and shut th

Gilian co

hat she is a great student and is liked abune a', and the

But I'll walk over

so the work was left to their hand. Jenny bustled to get on again her Sunday gear. She would not have missed, for a pretty, afternoon kirk a

d Elspeth. And at a crossing path they came upon a figure seate

ay, Gle

ay, Whi

. For a moment he and Rob

ing you?" quoth the latter. "I hea

d. "That's not

e was hardly shortened by age. The two kept ahead of th

nny day, W

neuch, Glenfernie.

t of doors. Moors make grand kirks. That has a

ha

onor every kirk th

sincere? Why gae ye

as sincere. I trust that

not in his s

alike and yet they ma

ather's steps, only ye'll tread them deeper! Ye've got it in y

lik

if ye can travel ou

s large as I think it is," said Glen

m something that gave the old man wonder. "Hae ye gold-mi

might be to White Farm. "I love Elspeth and Elspeth loves me. So we would marry, White Farm, and she be lady beside the laird at Glenfernie." But he could not say it yet, because he did not know if Elspeth loved him. He was in

astir, dressed in their best, with regulated step and mouth and eyes set aright, gave the correct greeting, neither more nor less. If the afternoon breeze, if a little ru

ts ringing, if it was solemn, was also silver-sweet. Glenfernie determined that he would go to church. He entered with the White Farm folk and he sat with them, leaving the laird's high-walled, curtained pew without human tenancy. Mrs. Grizel came but to morning sermon. Alice was with a kinswoman of rank in a great house near Edinburgh, submitting, not without enjoyment, to certain f

al afternoon kirk. The prayer was made, the psalm was sung, Mr. M'Nab preached a strong if wintry sermon. Jarvis Barrow, white-headed, strong-featured, intent, sat as in some tower over against Jerusalem, considering the foes that beset her. Beside him sat his daughter Jenny, in striped pettic

ace? He and White Farm and Littlefarm maun be well acq

ll. June was without, but June was more within. He also prayed, though his unuttered words ran in and out between the minister's uttered ones. Under the wintry sermon he built a dre

ast been our

eratio

ever hadst b

ains grea

u hadst form

the worl

from everl

rlasti

o love between man and woman, it loved with a huge, deep, pulsing, world-old strength. He heard Elspeth, he felt Elspeth on

h an overfl

riest th

sleep are, l

s at morn

flourishe

at ev'n d

ernie's heart, "but the forest of oaks, but t