is in his study, and Miss Graeme and the bairns are out
by, some way or other. Your Emily's with them."

"Yes, I reckoned so. I've just got home from Rixford. It wouldn't
amount to much, all I could do to-night, so I thought I'd come along up
a spell."

Janet repeated her kindly welcome.

"The minister's busy, I presume," said he.

"Yes,--as it's Saturday,--but he winna be busy very long now. If you'll
bide a moment, he'll be out, I daresay."

"There's no hurry. It's nothing particular."

But Mr Snow was not in his usual spirits evidently, and watching him
stealthily, Janet saw a care-worn anxious expression fastening on his
usually, cheerful face.

"Are you no' weel the night?" she asked.

"Sartain. I never was sick in my life."

"And how are they all down-by?" meaning at Mr Snow's house, by
"down-by."

"Well, pretty much so. Only just middling. Nothing to brag of, in the
way of smartness."

There was a long silence after that. Mr Snow sat with folded arms,
looking out on the scene before them.

"It's kind o' pleasant here, ain't it?" said he, at last.

"Ay," said Janet, softly, not caring to disturb his musings. He sat
still, looking over his own broad fields, not thinking of them as his,
however, not calculating the expense of the new saw-mill, with which he
had been threatening to disfigure Carson's brook, just at the point
where its waters fell into the pond. He was looking far-away to the
distant hills, where the dim haze was deepening into purple, hiding the
mountain tops beyond. But it could not be hills, nor haze, nor hidden
mountain tops, that had brought that wistful longing look into his eyes,
Janet thought, and between doubt as to what she ought to say, and doubt
as to whether she should say anything at all, she was for a long time
silent. At last, a thought struck her.

"What for wasna you at the Lord's table, on the Sabbath-day?" asked she.

Sampson gave her a queer look, and a short amused laugh.

"Well, I guess our folks would ha' opened their eyes, if I had undertook
to go there."

Janet looked at him in some surprise.

"And what for no? I ken there are others of the folk, that let strifes
and divisions hinder them from doing their duty, and sitting down
together. Though wherefore the like of these things should hinder them
from remembering their Lord, is more than I can understand. What hae
you been doing, or what has somebody been doing to you?"

There was a p