udgments
atween this an' the hinner en'. The Lord'll come whan naebody's luikin'
for him. And sae we maun be aye ready. Ilka year's an anno dominy. But
I dinna think the man that made that calcleation as ye ca' 't 's jist
a'thegeether infallible. An' for ae thing, he's forgotten to mak'
allooance for the laip years."

"The day's by, than!" exclaimed Andrew, in a tone contrasting pretty
strongly with his previous expressions of unbelief.

"Or else it's nae comin' sae sune as the prophet thocht. I'm no clear
at this moment aboot that. But it's a sma' maitter that."

Andrew's face fell, and he looked thoughtful.

"Hoo mak' ye that oot?" said he.

"Hoots man!" answered Thomas; "dinna ye see 'at gin the man was
cawpable o' makin' sic a mistak's that, i' the mids o' his perfec
confidence in his ain knowledge an' jeedgment, he cud hardly hae been
intendit by Providence for an interpreter o' dark sayings of old?"

Andrew burst into a laugh.

"Wha cud hae thocht, Thomas, 'at ye cud hae pickit sic gumption oot o'
stanes!"

And so they parted, Andrew laughing, and Thomas with a curious smile.

CHAPTER LXI.

Towards the middle of the following week the sky grew gloomy, and a
thick small incessant rain brought the dreariest weather in the world.
There was no wind, and miles of mist were gathered in the air. After a
day or two the heavens grew lighter, but the rain fell as steadily as
before, and in heavier drops. Still there was little rise in either the
Glamour or the Wan Water, and the weather could not be said to be
anything but seasonable.

On the Saturday afternoon, weary of some poor attempts at Greek and
Latin, weary of the wretched rain, and weary with wishing to be with
Kate, Alec could stay in the house no longer, and went out for a walk.
Along the bank of the river he wandered, through the rain above and the
wet grass below, to the high road, stood for a moment on the bridge
gazing at the muddy Glamour, which came down bank-full,--Annie saw him
from Tibbie's window as he stood,--and then turned and followed its
course below the bridge through a wild, and now dismal country, to
where the waters met. It was getting dusk when he reached the place.
With what a roar the Wan Water came down its rocks, rushing from its
steeper course into the slow incline of the Glamour! A terrible country
they came from--those two ocean-bound rivers--up among the hill-tops.
There on the desolate peat-mosses, spongy, bl