few
throughither women and lads from the back-lanes of the burghs, on the
old tale, a shoreside man for houghing a quey, and a girl Mac Vicar,
who had been for a season on a visit to some Catholic relatives in the
Isles, and was charged with malignancy and profanity.

Poor lass! I was wae for her. She stood bravely beside her father, whose
face was as begrutten as hers was serene, and those who put her through
her catechism found to my mind but a good heart and tolerance where they
sought treachery and rank heresy. They convicted her notwithstanding.

"You have stood your trials badly, Jean MacVicar," said Master Gordon.
"A backslider and malignant proven! You may fancy your open profession
of piety, your honesty and charity, make dykes to the narrow way. A fond
delusion, woman! There are, sorrow on it! many lax people of your kind
in Scotland this day, hangers-on at the petticoat tails of the whore of
Babylon, sitting like you, as honest worshippers at the tables of the
Lord, eating Christian elements that but for His mercy choked them at
the thrapple. You are a wicked woman!"

"She's a good daughter," broke in the father through his tears; but his
Gaelic never stopped the minister.

"An ignorant besom."

"She's leech-wife to half Kenmore," protested the old man.

"And this court censures you, ordains you to make public confession at
both English and Gaelic kirks before the congregations, thereafter to be
excommunicate and banished furth and from this parish of Inneraora and
Glenaora."

The girl never winced.

Her father cried again. "She can't leave me," said he, and he looked to
the Marquis, who all the time sat on the hard deal forms, like a plain
man. "Your lordship kens she is motherless and my only kin; that's she
true and honest."

The Marquis said yea nor nay, but had a minute's talk with the
clergyman, as I thought at the time, to make him modify his ruling. But
Master Gordon enforced the finding of the session.

"Go she must," said he; "we cannot have our young people poisoned at the
mind."

"Then she'll bide with me," said the father, angrily.

"You dare not, as a Christian professor, keep an excommunicate in your
house," said Gordon; "but taking to consideration that excommunication
precludes not any company of natural relations, we ordain you never to
keep her in your house in this parish any more; but if you have a mind
to do so with her, to follow her wherever she goes."

And that sorry