t, it seemed to him as if all he had done was simply to alienate
the boy whom God had given him, as a son in his old age, for even the
guileless Rabbi suspected that the ecclesiastics considered his action
foolishness and of no service to the Church of God. Barbara's language
on his arrival was vituperative to a degree; she gave him food
grudgingly, and when, in the early morning, he fell asleep over an open
Father, he was repeating Carmichael's name, and the thick old paper was
soaked with tears.

His nemesis seized Carmichael so soon as he reached the Dunleith train
in the shape of the Free Kirk minister of Kildrummie, who had purchased
six pounds of prize seed potatoes, and was carrying the treasure home
in a paper bag. This bag had done after its kind, and spilt its
contents, and as the distinguished agriculturist--who had not seen his
feet for years--could only have stooped at the risk of apoplexy, he
watched the dispersion of his potatoes with dismay, and hailed the
arrival of Carmichael with exclamations of thankfulness. It is
wonderful over what an area six pounds of (prize) potatoes can deploy
on a railway platform, and how the feet of passengers will carry them
unto far distances. Some might never have been restored to the bag had
it not been for Kildrummie's comprehensive eye and the physical skill
with which he guided Carmichael, till even prodigals that had strayed
over to the neighbourhood of the Aberdeen express were restored to the
extemporized fold in the minister's top-coat pockets. Carmichael had
knelt on that very platform six months or so before, but then he
laboured in the service of two most agreeable dogs and under the
approving eyes of Miss Carnegie; that was a different experience from
hunting after single potatoes on all fours among the feet of
unsympathetic passengers, and being prodded to duty by the umbrella of
an obese Free Kirk minister. As a reward for this service of the aged,
he was obliged to travel to Kildrummie with his neighbour--in whom for
the native humour that was in him he had often rejoiced, but whose
company was not congenial that day--and Kildrummie laid himself out for
a pleasant talk. After the roots had been secured and their pedigree
stated Kildrummie fell back on the proceedings of Presbytery,
expressing much admiration for the guidance of Doctor Dowbiggin and
denouncing Saunderson as "fair dottle," in proof of which judgment
Kildrummie adduced the fact that the