made; an' what wad ye ca' that but a scart or a straik o' Christianity."

"Weel, I kenna; but ony gait I canna think it can be again' the
trowth o' the gospel to wuss yersel' mair alane wi' yer God nor ye
ever can be in sic an awfu' Babylon o' a place as this."

"Na, na, Peter; I'm no sayin' that. I ken weel we're to gang
intill the closet and shut to the door. I'm only afeart 'at there
be something wrang in mysel' 'at tak's 't ill to be amon' sae
mony neibors. I'm thinkin' 'at, gien a' was richt 'ithin me, gien
I lo'ed my neibor as the Lord wad hae them 'at lo'ed Him lo'e ilk
ane his brither, I micht be better able to pray amang them--ay,
i' the verra face o' the bargainin' an' leein' a' aboot me."

"An' min' ye," said Peter, pursuing the train of his own thoughts,
and heedless of Malcolm's, "'at oor Lord himsel' bude whiles to
win awa', even frae his dissiples, to be him lane wi' the Father
o' 'im."

"Ay, ye're richt there, Peter," answered Malcolm, "but there's ae
p'int in 't ye maunna forget--and that is 'at it was never i'
the day-time--sae far's I min'--'at he did sae. The lee lang
day he was among 's fowk--workin' his michty wark. Whan the nicht
cam', in which no man could wark, he gaed hame till 's Father, as
't war. Eh me! but it's weel to ha'e a man like the schuilmaister
to put trowth intill ye. I kenna what comes o' them 'at ha'e drucken
maisters, or sic as cares for naething but coontin' an Laitin, an'
the likes o' that!"