g with a full stop, before
he goes on to his next point. Of course the audience look at their
watches and make for the door."

"What would a woman do?" Kate inquired with much interest.

"A lady was speaking lately at Muirtown for an orphanage at
Ballyskiddle, and described how Patsy was rescued from starvation, and
greatly affected us. 'Patsy will never want bread again,' she
concluded, and two bailies wept aloud.

"Then she went on, and it seemed to me a stroke of genius, 'Speaking
about Patsy, has any lady present a black dress suitable for a widow
woman?' Before we knew that we had left Patsy, the people were in a
widow's home, and the bailies were again overcome. I mention them
because it is supposed that a bailie is the most important human being
in Scotland, and he feels it his duty not to yield to emotion.

"No, a woman speaker never sacrifices her capital; she carries it with
her from England to France in her speech, and recognises no channel
passage. In fact," and Carmichael plunged into new imagery, "a man's
progress is after the manner of a mole, while a woman flits from branch
to branch like a--"

"Squirrel--I know," came in Kate, getting tired.

"Bird, I meant. Why do you say squirrel?" and Carmichael looked
suspiciously at Kate.

"Because it's such a careless, senseless, irresponsible little beast.
Have you met many women, Mr. Carmichael? Really they are not all
fools, as you have been trying to suggest for the last ten minutes."

"Highlanders are a safer subject of conversation than women," said the
General, good-naturedly, as he bade Carmichael good-bye. "And you must
tell us more about them next time you call, which I hope will be soon."

Carmichael halted twice on his way through the woods; once he stamped
his foot and looked like a man whose pride had been ruffled; the other
time he smiled to himself as one who was thinking of a future pleasure.

It was dusk as he crossed Lynedoch Bridge, and he looked down upon the
pool below where the trout were leaping. Half an hour passed, and then
he started off at high speed for Kilbogie Manse. "Please God if I am
worthy," he was saying to himself; "but I fear she is too high above me
every way."

CHAPTER X.

A SUPRA-LAPSARIAN.

Jeremiah Saunderson had remained in the low estate of a "probationer"
for twelve years after he left the Divinity Hall, where he was reported
so great a scholar that the Professor of Apologetics spoke to