standing with a half-dried dish in her hand.

[Illustration: Standing with a half-dried dish in her hand.]

"Ma name is Rebecca," as she recovered her speech, "an' there 's nae
ither wumman in the hoose, but a 'm judgin' ye werena speakin' tae me
or"--with awful severity--"ye 've made a mistak', an' the suner it's
pit richt the better for baith you an' me an' the manse o' Drumtochty.

"For near thirty year ye 've gane traivellin' in an' oot o' this
kitchen withoot cleanin' yir feet, and ye 've pit yir shoon on the
fender, an' hung up yir weet coat on the back o' the door, an'
commandit this an' that as if ye were the Doctor himsel', an' a' cud
dae naethin', for ye were beadle o' Drumtochty.

"So a' saw there wes nae ither wy o't but tae mairry ye an' get some
kind of order in the hoose; noo ye 'll understand the poseetion an' no
need anither tellin'; ootside in the kirk an' pairish ye 're maister,
an' a 'll never conter ye, for a' ken ma place as a kirk member an' yir
place as beadle; inside in this hoose a 'm maister, an' ye 'll dae what
ye 're bid, always in due submission tae the Doctor, wha 's maister
baith in an' oot. Tak yir feet aff that steel bar this meenut"--this
by way of practical application; and when after a brief pause, in which
the fate of an empire hung in the balance, John obeyed, the two chief
officials in the parish had made their covenant.

Perhaps it is unnecessary to add that they carefully kept their bounds,
so that Becca would no more have thought of suggesting a new attitude
to John as he stood at the foot of the pulpit stair waiting for the
Doctor's descent than John would have interfered with the cooking of
the Doctor's dinner. When the glass was set at fair, they even
exchanged compliments, the housekeeper expressing her sense of
unworthiness as she saw John in his high estate, while he would
indicate that the Doctor's stock on Sacrament Sabbath reached the
highest limits of human attainment. The Doctor being left to the
freedom of his own will, laboured at a time to embroil the powers by
tempting them to cross one another's frontiers, but always failed,
because they foresaw the consequences with a very distinct imagination.
If he asked Rebecca to convey a message to Drumsheugh, that cautious
woman would send in John to receive it from the Doctor's own lips, and
if the Doctor gave some directions regarding dinner to John, Rebecca
would appear in a few minutes to learn what the Doctor