n' between, an' Mary hed her faults.

"Ma word, Jeems," continued Elspeth with much relish, "Mary wud sune
hae settled the minister gin she hed been in the kirk the day."

"Ay, ay," inquired Jeems, "noo what wud the hizzie hae dune?"

"She wud juist hae sent for him an' lookit wi' her een, an' askit him
what ill he hed at her, an' gin that wesna eneuch she wud hae pit her
handkerchief tae her face."

"Of coorse he cudna hae stude that; a' micht hae gien in masel',"
admitted Jeems, "but Knox wes stiff."

"Maister Carmichael is no a Knox, naither are ye, Jeems, an' it's a
mercy for me ye arena. Mary wud hae twistit Maister Carmichael roond
her finger, but a 'm judgin' he 'll catch it as it is afore mony days,
or ma name 's no Elspeth Macfadyen. Did ye see Miss Carnegie rise an'
gae oot afore he feenished?"

"Div ye mean that, Elspeth?" and her husband was amazed at such
penetration. "Noo a' thocht it hed been the heat; a' never held wi'
that stove; it draws up the air. Hoo did ye jalouse yon?"

"She wes fidgetin' in her seat when he yokit on Mary, an' the meenut he
named her 'our Scottish Jezebel' the Miss rose an' opened the seat door
that calm, a' knew she wes in a tantrum, and she gied him a look afore
she closed the kirk door that wud hae brocht ony man tae his senses.

"Jeems," went on Elspeth with solemnity, "a' coont this a doonricht
calamity, for a' wes houpin' he wud hae pleased them the day, an' noo a
'm sair afraid that the minister hes crackit his credit wi' the Lodge."

"Div ye think, Elspeth, he saw her gang oot an' suspeckit the cause?"

"It's maist michty tae hear ye ask sic a question, Jeems. What gared
him mak' a hash o' the baptism prayer, and return thanks that there wes
a leevin' father, instead o' mither, and gie oot the 103rd Paraphrase?
Tak' ma word for't, he 's wishin' by this time that he 'd lat puir Mary
alane."

It was just above Hillocks' farm that the General overtook Kate, who
was still blazing.

"Did you ever hear such vulgar abuse and . . . abominable language from
a pulpit? He 's simply a raging fanatic, and not one bit better than
his Knox. And I . . . we thought him quite different . . . and a
gentleman. I 'll never speak to him again. Scottish Jezebel: I
suppose he would call me Jezebel if it occurred to him."

"Very likely he would," replied the General, dryly, "and I must say his
talk about Queen Mary seemed rather bad taste. But that's not the
question, Kate