homas Crann's voice arose in the dusky space. Mr Turnbull stopped to
listen, and there fell an expectant silence; for the stone-mason was
both reverenced and feared. It was too dark to see more than the dim
bulk of his figure, but he spoke with slow emphasis, and every word was
heard.

"Brethren and office-beirers o' the church, it's upo' discipline that I
want to speak. Discipline is ane o' the main objecs for which a church
is gathered by the speerit o' God. And we maun work discipleen amo'
oorsels, or else the rod o' the Almichty'll come doon upon a' oor
backs. I winna haud ye frae particulars ony langer.--Upon a certain
Sawbath nicht i' the last year, I gaed into Robert Bruce's hoose, to
hae worship wi' 'm.--I'm gaein straucht and fair to the pint at ance.
Whan he opened the buik, I saw him slip something oot atween the leaves
o' 't, and crunkle 't up in 's han', luikin his greediest. Syne he read
the twenty-third and fourt psalms. I cudna help watchin' him, and whan
we gaed down upo' oor k-nees, I luikit roon efter him, and saw him pit
something intil's breek-pooch. Weel, it stack to me. Efterhin
(afterwards) I fand oot frae the lassie Annie Anderson, that the buik
was hers, that auld Mr Cooie had gien't till her upo' 's deith-bed, and
had tell't her forbye that he had pitten a five poun' note atween the
leaves o' 't, to be her ain in remembrance o' him, like. What say ye to
that, Robert Bruce?"

"It's a' a lee," cried Robert, out of the dark back-ground under the
gallery, where he always placed himself at such meetings, "gotten up
atween yersel' and that ungratefu' cousin o' mine, Jeames Anderson's
lass, wha I hae keepit like ane o' my ain."

Bruce had been sitting trembling; but when Thomas put the question,
believing that he had heard all that Thomas had to say, and that there
was no proof against him, he resolved at once to meet the accusation
with a stout denial. Whereupon Thomas resumed:

"Ye hear him deny't. Weel, I hae seen the said Bible mysel'; and
there's this inscription upo' ane o' the blank leaves o' 't: 'Over the
twenty-third psalm o' David,'--I tellt ye that he read that psalm that
night--'Over the twenty-third psalm o' David, I hae laid a five poun'
note for my dear Annie Anderson, efter my deith!' Syne followed the
nummer o' the note, which I can shaw them that wants to see. Noo I hae
the banker's word for statin' that upo' the very Monday mornin' efter
that Sunday, Bruce paid into the bank a