d it forbids him nothing
which he is unwilling to forego. He pleads no pardon from it for known
faults; he seeks no evasions in the letter of it for violations of its
spirit. We are scarcely therefore aware of its vital power in him,
unless at moments of very grave feeling and its necessary expression.

"Wherefore, as the letter will not avail you with him to whom it is
directed, you may believe that Heaven hath sent it to _me_, who
have a special regard for the writer--have besides, as much mercy
and honesty within me as man can weel mak' his bread with, and am
willing to aid any distressed creature, that is my friend's
friend."

So, again, in the deep feeling which rebukes his master's careless ruin
of the poor apprentice--

"I say, then, as I am a true man, when I saw that puir creature
come through the ha' at that ordinary, whilk is accurst (Heaven
forgive me for swearing) of God and man, with his teeth set, and
his hands clenched, and his bonnet drawn over his brows...." He
stopped a moment, and looked fixedly in his master's face.

--and again in saving the poor lad himself when he takes the street to
his last destruction "with burning heart and bloodshot eye":

"Why do you stop my way?" he said fiercely.

"Because it is a bad one, Master Jenkin," said Richie.

"Nay, never start about it, man; you see you are known.
Alack-a-day! that an honest man's son should live to start at
hearing himself called by his own name."

"I pray you in good fashion to let me go," said Jenkin. "I am in
the humor to be dangerous to myself, or to anyone."

"I will abide the risk," said the Scot, "if you will but come with
me. You are the very lad in the world whom I most wish to
meet."[106]

"And you," answered Vincent, "or any of your beggarly countrymen,
are the last sight I should ever wish to see. You Scots are ever
fair and false."

"As to our poverty, friend," replied Richie, "that is as Heaven
pleases; but touching our falsity, I'll prove to you that a
Scotsman bears as leal and true a heart to his friend as ever beat
in an English doublet."

119. In these, and other such passages, it will be felt that I have done
Richie some injustice in classing him among the religionists who have
little sympathy! For all real distress, his compassion is instant; but
his doctrinal religion be