e one
from you whom you love. Or He may see that the only way of checking
the course of your wickedness is to have you laid aside with sickness.
It is probable that He will smite you by taking away from your evil
influence some of your children. God is very merciful to little
children when they are in the hands of brutes like you. Go away from
me! and ponder over what I have said."

Jimmy slouched off, muttering vengeance against the Almighty if He
dared to interfere with his bairns, and, as an addendum, he vividly
portrayed the violent death of Turnbull. He slunk listlessly into his
cottage, tumbled on to a seat, and was lost in meditation. Jenny, his
wife, tremulously asked what ailed him. She was alarmed at his subdued
manner; she had never known him come into the house without bullying
and using blasphemous language to her and the children, and oftentimes
this was accompanied by blows that well-nigh killed her and them; and
yet she stood loyally by him whenever he needed a friend. Suddenly he
jumped to his feet, and as though he had become possessed of an
inspiration, broke silence by vigorously exclaiming to his wife that
he had settled the manner of the "Ranter" preacher's death.

"Aa'll catch him some neet betwixt here and the burn [stream], and
finish him. That'll stop his taak aboot the Almighty takin' ma bairns
frae me!"

Jimmy's idea was that Turnbull was in communion with the Almighty for
the removal of his children, and if he were put out of the way there
would be an end to it. Jenny was no less ignorant than her husband,
and therefore no less superstitious about meddling with this
mysterious person who had come amongst them and wrought such
extraordinary changes in the lives of many of her class. She doubted
the wisdom of killing the preacher, as she had heard that these people
lived after they were killed, and might wreak more terrible vengeance
when their lives assumed another form. She urged her husband to leave
well alone; not because she in any way differed from his views in
regard to Turnbull's preaching and his attitude generally towards
evil-doers, or objected to his being put to death; but she preferred
some person other than her husband should do it. Hence, she disagreed
with his policy, and he in turn raged at her for taking sides against
him.

"This interloper's spyin' into everythin' we dee and say," said he.
"We had nee taak aboot religion afore he cum, and noo there's nowt
but religion