quietly to Robina, who promised to investigate the matter. It turned
out that poor Bildy had so thoroughly assimilated her instructions as
to the requisite behavior in church that he had been silently reproving
what he thought irreverence. He had seen a crofter whom he knew very
well dozing during the sermon, and had "wagged his fist" at
him--righteously indignant.

"Sleepin' i' the hoose o' God!" cried Bildy. "Yon's nae the place to
sleep in! I waggit my fist, an' I sair fleggit him!"

Bildy evidently congratulated himself on having so successfully "sore
frighted" the delinquent that he would never dare to behave so badly
again.

Bildy's respect for Val never waned. He never caught sight of the
priest, even at some little distance, but his hand flew up to his cap
in salutation, and remained there until Val had seen him and had
returned his salute. This would happen if he saw Val at a window of
our house just the same as when outside.

Penny took quite a motherly interest in the poor afflicted fellow.
Whenever he came on any errand from the Lamonts he was always given a
piece of cake or fruit--anything sweet, for he had a child's taste.
But although Bildy was supremely delighted, he seldom said more than
"thank you, Ma'am!" I once suggested that she should refer to Val, and
the experiment was successful in opening Bildy's mouth. After that the
conversation would almost invariably run thus:

"Did you see Father Fleming on Sunday, Bildy?"