"But a week or twa after the minister had lost yon twa nice bairns wi'
the scarlet fever, his faither an' him forgathered at the fishin'--whaur
he had gane, thinkin' to jook the sair thochts that he carried aboot wi'
him, puir man. They were baith keen fishers an' graun' at it. The
minister was for liftin' his hat to his faither an' gaun by, but the
auld man stood still in the middle o' the fit-pad wi' a gey queer look
in his face. 'Wattie!' he said, an' for ae blink the minister thocht
that his faither was gaun to greet, a thing that he had never seen him
do in a' his life. But the auld man didna greet. 'Wattie,' says he to
his son, 'hae ye a huik?'

"Ay, Saunders, that was a' he said, an' the minister juist gied him the
huik and some half-dizzen fine flees forbye, an' the twa o' them never
said _Disruption_ mair as lang as they leeved.

"'Ye had better see the factor aboot pittin' up a meetin'-hoose and a
decent dwallin', gin ye hae left kirk and manse!' That was a' that the
auld laird ever said, as his son gaed up stream and he down.

"Ay, he's been a sair-tried man in his time, your minister, but he's a'
by wi't the day," continued Saunders M'Quhirr, as they trudged behind
the hearse.

"Did I ever tell ye, Rob, aboot seem' young Walter--his boy that gaed
wrang, ye ken--when I was up in London the year afore last? Na? 'Deed, I
telled naebody binna the mistress. It was nae guid story to tell on
Deeside!

"Weel, I was up, as ye ken, at Barnet Fair wi' some winter beasts, so I
bade a day or twa in London, doin' what sma' business I had, an' seein'