put the finishing stroke to some bit of rustic finery. Worship was
always coloured by the evening's reading, but the old man never
forgot to pray that they both might have a place in the everlasting
covenant, and that the backslidings of Scotland might be healed.

As our inquisitor, Lachlan searched anxiously for sound doctrine and
deep experience, but he was not concerned about learning, and
fluency he regarded with disgust. When a young minister from
Muirtown stamped twice in his prayer at the Drumtochty Fast, and
preached with great eloquence from the words, "And there was no more
sea," repeating the text at the end of each paragraph, and
concluding the sermon with "Lord Ullin's Daughter," the atmosphere
round Lachlan became electric, and no one dared to speak to him
outside. He never expressed his mind on this melancholy exhibition,
but the following Sabbath he explained the principle on which they
elected ministers at Auchindarroch, which was his standard of
perfection.

"Six young men came, and they did not sing songs in the pulpit. Oh
no, they preached fery well, and I said to Angus Bain, 'They are all
goot lads, and there is nothing wrong with their doctrine.'

"Angus wass one of the 'Men,' and saw what wass hidden from me, and
he will be saying, 'Oh yes, they said their lesson fery pretty, but
I did not see them tremble, Lachlan Campbell. Another iss coming,
and seven is a goot number.'

"It wass next Sabbath that he came, and he wass a white man, giving
out his text, 'Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage
supper of the Lamb,' and I wass thinking that the Lord had laid too