ull one. But Father
Clement is neither the one nor the other."

"But what is he then, in Heaven's name?"

"One who is either greatly better than half his brethren of St. Johnston
put together, or so much worse than the worst of them, that it is sin
and shame that he is suffered to abide in the country."

"Methinks it were easy to tell whether he be the one or the other," said
the smith.

"Content you, my friend," said Simon, "with knowing that, if you judge
Father Clement by what you see him do and hear him say, you will think
of him as the best and kindest man in the world, with a comfort for
every man's grief, a counsel for every man's difficulty, the rich man's
surest guide, and the poor man's best friend. But if you listen to what
the Dominicans say of him, he is--Benedicite!--(here the glover crossed
himself on brow and bosom)--a foul heretic, who ought by means of
earthly flames to be sent to those which burn eternally."

The smith also crossed himself, and exclaimed: "St. Mary! father Simon,
and do you, who are so good and prudent that you have been called the
Wise Glover of Perth, let your daughter attend the ministry of one
who--the saints preserve us!--may be in league with the foul fiend
himself! Why, was it not a priest who raised the devil in the Meal
Vennel, when Hodge Jackson's house was blown down in the great wind?
Did not the devil appear in the midst of the Tay, dressed in a priest's
scapular, gambolling like a pellack amongst the waves, the morning when
our stately bridge was swept away?"

"I cannot tell whether he did or no," said the glover; "I only know I
saw him not. As to Catharine, she cannot be said to use Father Clement's
ministry, seeing her confessor is old Father Francis the Dominican, from
whom she had her shrift today. But women will sometimes be wilful, and
sure enough she consults with Father Clement more than I could wish; and
yet when I have spoken with him myself, I have thought him so good and
holy a man that I could have trusted my own salvation with him. There
are bad reports of him among the Dominicans, that is certain. But what
have we laymen to do with such things, my son? Let us pay Mother Church
her dues, give our alms, confess and do our penances duly, and the
saints will bear us out."

"Ay, truly; and they will have consideration," said the smith, "for any
rash and unhappy blow that a man may deal in a fight, when his party was
on defence, and standing up to him; a