sit in
jeedgment upo' the applicants. The crater professed, and they war jist
ower willin' to believe him."

"Weel, gin that be the case, I dinna see that ye're sae far aheid o'
fowk that disna mak' sae mony pretensions."

"Indeed, Mr Cupples, I fully doobt that the displeesur o' the Almichty
is restin' upo' oor kirk; and Mr Turnbull, honest man, appears to feel
the wacht o' 't. We hae mair than ae instance i' the Scriptur o' a
haill community sufferin' for the sin o' ane."

"Do ye ken ony instance o' a gude man no bein' able to win in to your
set?"

"Ay, ane, I think. There was a fule body that wantit sair to sit doon
wi' 's. But what cud we do? We cudna ken whether he had savin' grace or
no, for the body cudna speyk that a body cud unnerstan' him?"

"And ye didna lat him sit doon wi' ye?"

"Na. Hoo cud we?"

"The Lord didna dee for him, did he?"

"We cudna tell."

"And what did the puir cratur do?"

"He grat" (wept).

"And hoo cam' ye to see that ye wad hae been a' the better o' a wee
mair pooer to read the heart?"

"Whan the cratur was deein', the string o' his tongue, whether that
string lay in his mou', or in his brain, was lousened, and he spak'
plain, and he praised God."

"Weel, I can_not_ see that your plan, haudin' oot innocents that lo'e
Him, and lattin in thieves that wad steal oot o' the Lord's ain
bag--gie them a chance--can be an impruvment upo' the auld fashion o'
settin' a man to judge himsel', and tak the wyte o' the jeedgment upo'
's ain shouthers."

CHAPTER LXXXI.

Annie began to perceive that it was time for her to go, partly from the
fact that she was no longer wanted so much, and partly from finding in
herself certain conditions of feeling which she did not know what to do
with.

"Annie's coming back to you in a day or two, Mr Bruce," said Mrs
Forbes, having called to pay some of her interest, and wishing to
prepare the way for her return. "She has been with me a long time, but
you know she was ill, and I could not part with her besides."

"Weel, mem," answered Bruce, "we'll be verra happy to tak' her hame
again, as sune's ye hae had a' the use ye want o' her."

He had never assumed this tone before, either to Mrs Forbes or with
regard to Annie. But she took no notice of it.

Both Mr and Mrs Bruce received the girl so kindly that she did not know
what to make of it. Mr Bruce especially was all sugar and
butter--rancid butter of course. When she went up to he