"He's a gude cratur and terrible gifted in prayer," Netherton
explained to Burnbrae after a prayer-meeting, when Donald had
temporarily abandoned Satan and given himself to autobiography, "but
yon wesna a verra ceevil way to speak aboot his faither and mither."

"A' doot yir imaginin', Netherton. Donald never mentioned his fouk
the nicht, and it's no likely he wud in the prayer-meeting."

"There's nae imaginin' aboot it; a' heard him wi' ma ain ears say
twice, 'My father was an Amorite, and my mother a Hittite.' I'll
take my aith on it. Noo, a' dinna ken Donald's forbears masel, for
he's frae Tayside, but supposin' they were as bad as bad cud be,
it's no for him to blacken his ain blood, and him an Elder."

"Toots, Netherton, yir aff it a' thegither. Div ye no see yon's
Bible langidge oot o' a Prophet, or maybe Kings, and Donald wes
usin't in a feegurative capaucity?"

"Feegurative or no feegurative, Burnbrae, it disna maitter; it's a
peetifu' job howking (digging) thro' the Bible for ill words tae
misca yir fouk wi' afore the public."

Burnbrae gave up the contest in despair, feeling himself that Old
Testament allusions were risky, and that Donald's quotation was less
than felicitous.

Donald's prayers were not known outside the Free Kirk circle, but
his encounters with the evil one were public property, and caused a
general shudder. Drumtochty was never sure who might not be