y
you object to that?--and is the objection to the forgiveness, or to the
proclamation of it?"

"Sir," said Mr Bagnall, warmly, "I think it presumption--arrogance--
horrible self-conceit."

"To have forgiveness?--or to say so?"

"I cannot answer such a question, Sir!" said Mr Bagnall, getting red in
the face, and seizing the pepper-box once more, with which he dusted his
pie recklessly. "When a man sets himself up to be better than his
neighbours in that way, it is scandalous--perfectly scandalous, Sir!"

"`Better than his neighbours!'" repeated Mr Keith, as if he were
considering the question. "If a pardoned criminal be better than his
neighbours, I suppose the neighbours are worse criminals?"

"Sir, you misunderstand me. They fancy themselves better than others."
Mr Bagnall was getting angry.

"But seeing all are criminals alike, and they own it every Sunday," was
Mr Keith's answer, "does it not look rather odd that an objection
should be made to one of them stating that he has been pardoned? Is it
because the rest are unpardoned, and are conscious of it?"

"Come, friends!" said Sir Robert, before Mr Bagnall could reply. "Let
us not lose our tempers, I beg. Mr Keith is a Scotsman, and such are
commonly good reasoners and love a tilt; and 'tis but well in a young
man to keep his wits in practice. But we must not get too far, you
know."

"Just so! just so!" saith Father, who I think was glad to have a stop
put to this sort of converse. "Mr Bagnall, I am sure, bears no malice.
Sir Robert, when do the Holme Cultram hounds meet next?"

Mr Bagnall growled something, I know not what, and gave himself up to
his pie for the rest of the time, Mr Keith smiled, and said no more.
But I know in whose hands I thought the victory rested.

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Note 1. The word "ticket" was still spelt "etiquette."

Note 2. These exact expressions are quoted in Whitefield's sermons.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN.

"The untrue liveth only in the heart
Of vain humanity, which fain would be
Its own poor centre and circumference."

REV HORATIUS BONAR, D.D.

This afternoon I went up the Scar by myself. First I climbed right to
the top, and after looking round a little, as I always like to do on the
top of a mountain, I went down a few yards to the flat bit where the old
Roman wall runs, and sat down on the grass just above. It was a