r.
McPherson was to be persuaded to remove the mortgage, and instead, as
Angus was in need of the money, to rent the farm. Lawyer Ed was to see
that it was let for a goodly sum that would keep its owner beyond
anxiety, and whatever Jock stood to lose by the bargain was to be
returned to him in whole or part by a little circle of friends. It was
a great scheme, worthy of a legal mind, Dr. Leslie said, and Lawyer Ed
went away well pleased with it.

He went two blocks out of his way, so that he could reach J. P.
Thornton's office without passing his own, and spent another hour
laying the scheme before him.

So, when he finally got to his place of business, irate clients were
buzzing about it like angry bees. But little cared Lawyer Ed. He
laughed and joked them all into good humour and dropping into the chair
at his desk, he drove through a mass of business in an incredibly short
time, telephoning, writing notes, hailing passers-by on the street, and
attending to his correspondence, all while he was holding personal
interviews,--doing half-a-dozen things at once and doing them as though
they were holiday sport.

The rush of the day's business kept him from speaking to Jock McPherson
until late in the evening, when, at the end of the session meeting, he
found himself walking away from the church with Mr. McPherson on one
side and his friend, J. P. Thornton, on the other. He felt just a
little anxious over the outcome of the interview. He had no fear that
Jock would be unwilling to help Angus McRae, but he had every fear, and
with good reason, that he would want to do it in his own way. If Jock
were in a good humour, he would fall in with the plan, if not, he would
do exactly as he pleased and spoil everything.

And, as ill-luck would have it, when they were coming down the steps
under the checkered light from the arc-lamp shining through the leaves,
Lawyer Ed made the most unfortunate remark he could have chosen.

He was carrying home a Book of Praise under his arm and was humming a
psalm in a rich undertone. And the unwise thing he said was: "I'd like
to sing the _Amen_ at the end of the psalms, as well as the hymns.
What do you say, J. P.?"

"An excellent idea, Ed," said Mr. Thornton heartily. "The psalms would
sound much more finished--" He stopped suddenly, realising that they
had made a fatal mistake. Mr. McPherson had overheard, and uttered a
disgusted snort. For he hated the new appendage to the hy