eart o' flesh was like to break!"
His hand fell again heavily upon the board. "Sae weak and womanish is
thae time we live in!" He flashed at his great-nephew. "Sae poetical!
It wasna sae when the Malignants drove us and we fled to the hills and
were fed on the muirs with the word of the Lord! It wasna sae in the
time when Gawin Elliot that Glenfernie draws frae was hanged for
gieing us that word! Then gin a sin-blasted ane was found amang us,
his road indeed was shawn him! Aye, were't man or woman! _'For while
they be folded together as thorns, and while they are drunken as
drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry!'_"

He pushed back his heavy chair; he rose from table and went forth,
tall, ancient, gray, armored in belief. They heard him take his Bible
from where it lay, and knew that he was back under the fir-tree,
facing from the house toward moor and hill and mountain.

"Eh-h," groaned Thomas, "the elder is a mighty witness!"

The family at White Farm ate in silence. Elspeth slipped from her
place.

"Where are ye gaeing, hinny?" asked Jenny. "Ye hae eaten naething."

"I've finished," said Elspeth. "I'm going to afternoon kirk, and I'll
be getting ready."

She went into the room that she shared with Gilian and shut the door.
Robin looked after her.

"When is Gilian coming home?"

"Naebody knows. She is sae weel at Aberdeen! They write that she is a
great student and is liked abune a', and they clamor to keep her.--Are
ye gaeing to second kirk, Robin?"

"I do not think so. But I'll walk over the moor with you."

The meal ended. Thomas and Willy went forth to the barn. Menie and
Merran began to clear the table. They were not going to second kirk,
and so the work was left to their hand. Jenny bustled to get on again
her Sunday gear. She would not have missed, for a pretty, afternoon
kirk and all the neighbors who were twice-goers. It was fair and
theater and promenade and kirk to her in one--though of course she
only said "kirk."

They walked over the moor, Jarvis Barrow and Jenny and Robin and
Elspeth. And at a crossing path they came upon a figure seated on a
stone and found it to be that of the laird of Glenfernie.

"Gude day, Glenfernie!"

"Good day, White Farm!"

He joined himself to them. For a moment he and Robin Greenlaw were
together.

"Do you know what I hear them calling you?" quoth the latter. "I hear
them say 'The wandering laird!'"

Alexander smiled. "That's not so bad a