and told them what her father thought, and Robin; and
Allison listened and smiled, and wondered too, since she was called to
think about it at all.

As for the mistress, the "Stanin' Stanes" were just the Stanin' Stanes
to her. She accepted them as she did the hills themselves, and the
heather, and the distant mountains; and she objected decidedly to the
minister's opinion as announced by his little daughter.

"We are maybe standing in a temple where, hundreds and hundreds of years
ago, the folk worshipped an unknown God," said Marjorie.

The mistress vehemently dissented.

"What should put the like o' that in the minister's head? It's an ill
thing for ane to try to be wise aboon what's written."

"But it's all in a book," said the child eagerly. "Robin read it to my
mother and me. And in the Bible ye ken there were folk seeking Him, `if
haply they might feel after Him and find Him.' And maybe they were
doing that here."

But the mistress would not hear such a thing said.

"Think ye the Lord wad hae letten stan' a' these years in a Christian
land like Scotland sic monuments o' will worship and idolatry? Na, na,
lassie, I couldna believe that, though your father should preach it out
o' the poopit."

"But, Mistress Jamieson, the Lord lets ill men (evil men) live in
Scotland, and has patience with them, and whiles saves them from their
sins. And maybe the folk were `feeling after Him' in those faraway
days."

"John Beaton told my father that these muckle stanes are quite different
from the rest o' the stanes upon the hills hereaboot," said Annie
Cairns.

"John Beaton nae less!" said the mistress scornfully. "As gin the Lord
couldna put what kin' o' stanes He liket wherever it was His will to put
them. And what kens John Beaton mair than the lave?"

"Grannie thinks it was the fairies that brocht them up the brae. But
John kens weel about stanes."

It was Annie Cairns, one of the older lassies, who had made the last two
ventures. It was certainly a bold thing for a lassie, who was every day
convicted in the school of lost loops in her stocking, to put in her
word with her betters on such a matter. The mistress answered her with
a look which she knew well, and heeded little. But it startled
Marjorie, who had only heard about such looks from her brothers. Her
face warned Allison that enough had been said.

"Ye're growing tired, my lammie, and ye'll need to lie down and rest for
a while."

"Yes