echism, and the
Excommunication at Torwood, and the slaughter of Archbishop Sharp. This
last topic, again, led him into the lawfulness of defensive arms, on
which subject he uttered much more sense than could have been expected
from some other parts of his harangue, and attracted even Waverley's
attention, who had hitherto been lost in his own sad reflections. Mr.
Gilfillan then considered the lawfulness of a private man's standing
forth as the avenger of public oppression, and as he was labouring with
great earnestness the cause of Mas James Mitchell, who fired at the
Archbishop of Saint Andrews some years before the prelate's assassination
on Magus Muir, an incident occurred which interrupted his harangue.

The rays of the sun were lingering on the very verge of the horizon as
the party ascended a hollow and somewhat steep path which led to the
summit of a rising ground. The country was uninclosed, being part of a
very extensive heath or common; but it was far from level, exhibiting in
many places hollows filled with furze and broom; in others, little
dingles of stunted brushwood. A thicket of the latter description crowned
the hill up which the party ascended. The foremost of the band, being the
stoutest and most active, had pushed on, and, having surmounted the
ascent, were out of ken for the present. Gilfillan, with the pedlar and
the small party who were Waverley's more immediate guard, were near the
top of the ascent, and the remainder straggled after them at a
considerable interval.

Such was the situation of matters when the pedlar, missing, as he said, a
little doggie which belonged to him, began to halt and whistle for the
animal. This signal, repeated more than once, gave offence to the rigour
of his companion, the rather because it appeared to indicate inattention
to the treasures of theological and controversial knowledge which were
pouring out for his edification. He therefore signified gruffly that he
could not waste his time in waiting for an useless cur.

'But if your honour wad consider the case of Tobit--'

'Tobit!' exclaimed Gilffflan, with great heat; 'Tobit and his dog baith
are altogether heathenish and apocryphal, and none but a prelatist or a
papist would draw them into question. I doubt I hae been mista'en in you,
friend.'

'Very likely,' answered the pedlar, with great composure; 'but
ne'ertheless, I shall take leave to whistle again upon puir Bawty.'

This last signal was answered in a