n!
But," she added with sudden animation, "we can pray for him; though it
iss not possible for you or Maister Jackman to change my bairn's hert,
the Lord can do it, for wi' Him `a' things are possible.'"

To this Mrs Gordon gave a hearty assent. Sitting still as she was,
with hand resting on the old woman's arm, she shut her eyes and prayed
fervently for the salvation of the enslaved man.

She was still engaged in this act of worship when another shriek was
heard. At the same time the door of the keeper's cottage was heard to
open, and Ivor's feet were heard staggering towards his mother's
cottage. Poor Flo took refuge in great alarm behind Mrs Donaldson,
while her mother, rising quickly, drew back a few paces.

Next moment the small door was burst open, and the keeper plunged,
almost fell, into the room with something like a savage cheer. He was a
terrible sight. With wildly dishevelled hair, bloodshot eyes, and
distorted features, he stood for a few seconds glaring at his mother;
his tall figure swaying to and fro, while he held a quart bottle aloft
in his right hand. He did not appear to observe the visitors, but
continued to stare at his mother with an expression that perplexed her,
accustomed though she was to his various moods.

"See, mother," he shouted fiercely, "I have done wi' the accursed thing
at last!"

He dashed the bottle on the hearth with tremendous violence as he spoke,
so that it vanished into minute fragments, while its contents spurted
about in all directions. Happily very little of it went into the fire,
else the cottage would have been set ablaze.

With another wild laugh the man wheeled round, staggered out of the
cottage, and went his way.

"You are not hurt, I trust?" said the lady, anxiously bending down over
the poor old creature, who had remained calmly seated in her chair,
without the slightest appearance of alarm.

"No, I'm not hurt, thank the Lord," she answered.

"Don't you think that that was an answer to our prayer?" asked the lady
with some eagerness.

Old Molly shook her head dubiously. "It may be so," she replied; "but I
hev often seen 'im i' that mind, and he has gone back to it again and
again, like the soo that was washed, to her wallowin' i' the mire. Yet
there did seem somethin' different aboot 'im the day," she added
thoughtfully; "but it iss not the first time I hev prayed for him
without gettin' an answer."

"Answers do not always come as we expect the