their ways of feeling and acting as Annie
herself. Anything like cruelty he detested; and yet, as occasion will
show, he could execute stern justice. With the world of men around him,
he was equally conversant. He knew the characters of the simple people
wonderfully well; and _took to_ Thomas Crann more than to any one else,
notwithstanding that Thomas would read him a long lecture sometimes. To
these lectures Alec would listen seriously enough, believing Thomas to
be right; though he could never make up his mind to give any after
attention to what he required of him.

The first time Alec met Thomas after the affair with the dominie, was
on the day before he was to go back to school; for his mother had
yielded at last to his entreaties. Thomas was building an addition to a
water-mill on the banks of the Glamour not far from where Alec lived,
and Alec had strolled along thither to see how the structure was going
on. He expected a sharp rebuke for his behaviour to Mr Malison, but
somehow he was not afraid of Thomas, and was resolved to face it out.
The first words Thomas uttered, however, were:

"Weel, Alec, can ye tell me what was the name o' King Dawvid's mither?"

"I can_not_, Thomas," answered Alec. "What was it?"

"Fin' ye that oot. Turn ower yer Bible. Hae ye been back to the school
yet?"

"No. I'm gaein the morn."

"Ye're no gaein to strive wi' the maister afore nicht, are ye?"

"I dinna ken," answered Alec. "Maybe he'll strive wi' me.--But ye ken,
Thomas," he continued, defending himself from what he supposed Thomas
was thinking, "King Dawvid himsel' killed the giant."

"Ow! ay; a' richt. I'm no referrin' to that. Maybe ye did verra richt.
But tak care, Alec--" here Thomas paused from his work, and turning
towards the boy with a trowelful of mortar in his hand, spoke very
slowly and solemnly--"tak ye care that ye beir no malice against the
maister. Justice itsel," dune for the sake o' a private grudge, will
bunce back upo' the doer. I hae little doobt the maister'll be the
better for't; but gin ye be the waur, it'll be an ill job, Alec, my
man."

"I hae no ill-will at him, Thomas."

"Weel, jist watch yer ain hert, and bewaur ye o' that. I wad coonsel ye
to try and please him a grainie mair nor ordinar'. It's no that easy to
the carnal man, but ye ken we ought to crucify the auld man, wi' his
affections and lusts."

"Weel, I'll try," said Alec, to whom it was not nearly so difficult as
Thomas imagine