he turned round at last with a
grave face.

"I cannot understand it, Davie. I suppose Jacob Holt is not a good man,
and grandfather thinks he did him a great wrong long ago, and that he is
only waiting for an opportunity to do him still another. But yet it
seems strange to me that grandfather should care so much, and be so hard
on him. It should not matter so much to him, for Jacob Holt is but a
poor creature after all."

Davie looked at her in astonishment.

"Is that the way you look at it? Do you know what happened long ago?"

"I don't know, nor do you; but we can guess. And even grannie thinks
him hard on Jacob. Oh, Davie; it is a terrible thing not to be able to
forget."

Davie said nothing, and Katie went on:

"I hate myself for thinking that grandfather may not be right in
everything, so good as he is, so upright and so true. He never did a
mean or unjust deed in all his life. If he is not one of God's people,
who is? And yet, Davie, the Bible says, `If ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.'
And to think that one like Jacob Holt should have the power to harden a
good man's heart like that!"

"What do you suppose grannie would think if she were to hear you?" said
Davie in amazement.

"Of course I wouldna speak to grannie, or to any one else but you. And
whiles I think that grannie herself is feared at his silence, and--and
at his unchangeableness," said Katie, with an awed look. "And
grandfather is growing an old man now, and what will it matter to him in
a little while about Jacob Holt or any other man?"

Davie got up and walked about restlessly for a while, and when he came
and stood before her on the other side of the burn, Katie want on again:

"Grandfather must ken that the Lord knows about it all, and that it is
sure `to work for good' to him, as the Bible says it must. `All
things,' it says. And the Lord knew grandfather's trouble long ago, and
grandfather knows that He knew it, and it is a wonder that he should
never be comforted."

"It is something that we canna understand," said Davie gravely. "But,
Katie, grandfather is not ay dwelling on it as you suppose. Did he ever
do an ill deed to Jacob Holt, or say an ill word of him? He canna be
friendly with him, because he canna trust him or respect him. But as to
not forgiving him--that is not likely."

"But, Davie, he hasna spoken a word to Jacob Holt for years. He has