eluge of the world, in
which, according to Mr Turnbull, eighty thousand millions of the sons
and daughters of men perished, or to heed the practical application
which he made of his subject. For once the contingent of nature was too
powerful for the ends of the preacher.

When the service was over, they rushed out of the chapel.

Robert Bruce was the first to step from the threshold up to the ankles
in water. The rain was falling--not in drops, but in little streams.

"The Lord preserve 's!" he exclaimed. "It's risen a fit (foot) upo'
Glamerton a'ready. And there's that sugar i' the cellar! Bairns, rin
hame yer lanes. I canna bide for ye."

And he was starting off at the top of his speed.

"Hoots! man," cried Thomas Crann, who came behind him, "ye're sae sair
ta'en up wi' the warl, 'at ye hae nae room for ordinar' common sense.
Ye're only stannin' up to the mou's o' yer shune i' the hole 'at ye
unnertook yersel' to fill up wi' the lime 'at was ower efter ye had
turned yer dry stane dyke intil a byre-wa'."

Robert stepped out of the hole and held his tongue. At that moment,
Annie was slipping past him to run back to Tibbie. He made a pounce
upon her and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Nae mair o' this, Annie!" he said. "Come hame for cowmon dacency, and
dinna gang stravaguin' in a nicht like this, naebody kens whaur."

"A' body kens whaur," returned Annie. "I'm only gaun to sleep wi'
Tibbie Dyster, puir blin' body!"

"Lat the blin' sleep wi' the blin', an' come ye hame wi' me," said
Robert oracularly, abusing several texts of Scripture in a breath, and
pulling Annie away with him. "Ye'll be drooned afore the mornin' in
some hole or ither, ye fashous rintheroot! And syne wha'll hae the wyte
o' 't?"

Heartily vexed and disappointed, Annie made no resistance, for she felt
it would be uncomely. And how the rain did pour as they went home! They
were all wet to the skin in a moment except Mr Bruce, who had a big
umbrella, and reasoned with himself that his Sabbath clothes were more
expensive than those of the children.

The best way certainly was to send the wet ones to bed as soon as they
got home. But how could Annie go to bed when Tibbie was lying awake
listening for her footsteps, and hearing only the sounds of the rising
water? She made up her mind what to do. Instead of going into her room,
she kept listening on the landing for the cessation of footsteps. The
rain poured down on the roof with such a noise, an