jist you that can. Edward will be finding great
opportunities for helping folk and he has not the time now. There's
that poor bit English body, Perkins, and his family, and there's Mike
as you say, though Father Tracy would be straightening him up something
fine. But you must jist see that he doesn't go to law any more. And
then there's poor Peter Fiddle."

The younger man laughed. "Peter is the kind of poor we have with us
always, Dad. Is he behaving any better?"

"Och, indeed I sometime think I see a decided improvement," exclaimed
Old Angus, with the optimism that had refused to give Peter Fiddle up
through years of drunkenness and failure. "We must jist keep hold of
him, and the good Lord will save Peter yet, never fear."

Roderick was silent. Personally he had no faith in Peter McDuff the
elder. He had gone on through the years fiddling and singing and
telling stories, his drunken sprees showing a constantly diminishing
interval between. Every one in Algonquin, except Angus McRae, had
given him up long ago, but his old friend still held on to him with a
faith which was really the only thing that kept old Peter from complete
ruin. But Roderick had the impatience of youth with failure, and
though he had inherited his father's warm heart, he was not at all
happy at the thought of becoming guardian of all the poor unfortunates
of the town who in one way or the other had fallen among thieves.

"Eh yes, yes, there is a great ministry for you here, Lad. I have
sometimes been sorry that you did not feel called to the preaching, but
I was jist thinking the last time Edward and I talked the work over,
that I was glad now you hadn't. For you will be able to help the poor
folk that need you jist as well here, though I would be far from
putting anything above the preaching of the Gospel. But there will be
many ways of preaching the Gospel, Lad, and the lawyer has a great
chance. It will be by jist being neighbour to the folk in want. Folk
go more often to the lawyer or the doctor, Archie Blair says, when they
are in trouble, than they do to their minister, and I am afraid it's
true. And a great many of the folk that will come to you to get you to
do their business, Lad, will be folk in trouble, many who have fallen
among thieves on the Jericho Road, and you will be pouring in the oil
and the wine that the dear Lord has given you, and you will be doing it
all in His name." He sighed happily. "Oh, yes, inde