n' thing constantly lost sicht o'.
Man, I hae been tryin' to win at the duin' o' the richt this mony a
year, but I daurna yet lat mysel' ac' upo' the spur o' the moment whaur
my ain enterest 's concernt: my ain side micht yet blin' me to the
ither man's side o' the business. Onybody can un'erstan' his ain
richt, but it taks trible an' thoucht to un'erstan' what anither coonts
his richt. Twa richts canna weel clash. It's a wrang an' a richt, or
pairt wrang an' a pairt richt 'at clashes."

"Gien a'body did that, I doobt there wad be feow fortins made!" said
Donal.

"Aboot that I canna say, no kennin'; I daurna discover a law whaur I
haena knowledge! But this same fairplay lies, alang wi' love, at the
varra rute and f'undation o' the universe. The theologians had a
glimmer o' the fac' whan they made sae muckle o' justice, only their
justice is sic a meeserable sma' bit plaister eemage o' justice, 'at it
maist gars an honest body lauch. They seem to me like shepherds 'at
rive doon the door-posts, an' syne block up the door wi' them."

Donal told him of the quarrel he had had with lord Forgue, and asked
him whether he thought he had done right.

"Weel," answered the cobbler, "I'm as far frae blamin' you as I am frae
justifeein' the yoong lord."

"He seems to me a fine kin' o' a lad," said Donal, "though some
owerbeirin'."

"The likes o' him are mair to be excused for that nor ither fowk, for
they hae great disadvantages i' the position an' the upbringin'. It's
no easy for him 'at's broucht up a lord to believe he's jist ane wi'
the lave."

Donal went for a stroll through the town, and met the minister, but he
took no notice of him. He was greatly annoyed at the march which he
said the fellow had stolen upon him, and regarded him as one who had
taken an unfair advantage of him. But he had little influence at the
castle. The earl never by any chance went to church. His niece, lady
Arctura, did, however, and held the minister for an authority at things
spiritual--one of whom living water was to be had without money and
without price. But what she counted spiritual things were very common
earthly stuff, and for the water, it was but stagnant water from the
ditches of a sham theology. Only what was a poor girl to do who did
not know how to feed herself, but apply to one who pretended to be able
to feed others? How was she to know that he could not even feed
himself? Out of many a difficulty she thought he h