politics, over head and ears; and, moreover, he could never hear
the names of either of the Wringhims mentioned without getting
into a quandary of disgust and anger; and all that he would deign
to say of them was, to call them by all the opprobrious names he
could invent.

It turned out as the young man from the first suggested: old
Dalcastle would listen to nothing concerning them with any
patience. George complained that his brother harassed him with
his presence at all times, and in all places. Old Dal asked why he
did not kick the dog out of his presence whenever he felt him
disagreeable? George said he seemed to have some demon for a
familiar. Dal answered that he did not wonder a bit at that, for the
young spark was the third in a direct line who had all been
children of adultery; and it was well known that all such were
born half-deils themselves, and nothing was more likely than that
they should hold intercourse with their fellows. In the same style
did he sympathize with all his son's late sufferings and
perplexities.

In Mr. Adam Gordon, however, George found a friend who
entered into all his feelings, and had seen and known everything
about the matter. He tried to convince him that at all events there
could be nothing supernatural in the circumstances; and that the
vision he had seen on the rock, among the thick mist, was the
shadow of his brother approaching behind him. George could not
swallow this, for he had seen his own shadow on the cloud, and,
instead of approaching to aught like his own figure, he perceived
nothing but a halo of glory round a point of the cloud that was
whither and purer than the rest. Gordon said, if he would go with