"It is well for us," replied the minister, gravely, "That He does know
--every thing."

"I suppose it is."

And then for another hour the two good men--one living in the world
and the other out of it--both fathers of families, carrying their own
burden of cares, and having gone through their own personal sorrows each
in his day, talked over, the minutest degree, the present, and, so far
as they could divine it, the future of this poor boy, who, through so
strange a combination of circumstances, had been left entirely to their
charge.

"It is a most responsible charge, Mr. Cardross, and I feel almost
selfish in shifting it so much from my own shoulders upon yours."

"I am willing to undertake it. Perhaps it may do me good," returned the
minister, with a slight sigh.

"And you will give him the best education you can--your own, in
short, which is more than sufficient for Lord Cairnforth; certainly more
than the last earl had, or his father either."

"Possibly," said Mr. Cardross, who remembered both--stalwart, active,
courtly lords of the soil, great at field-sports and festivities, but
not over given to study. "No, the present earl does not take after his
progenitors in any way. You should just see him, Mr. Menteith, over his
Virgil; and I have promised to begin Homer with him tomorrow. It does
one's heart good to see a boy so fond of his books," added the minister,