minister questioning himself whether he had denied the Evangel or
sinned against one of Christ's disciples. They argued together; they
prayed apart.

Lachlan was careful to say nothing, but the congregation felt that
his hand was against the minister, and Burnbrae took him to task.

"Ye maunna be ower hard on him, Maister Campbell, for he's but
young, and comin' on fine. He hes a hearty word for ilka body on the
road, and the sicht o' his fresh young face in the poopit is a
sermon itsel'."

"You are wrong, Burnbrae, if you will be thinking that my heart iss
not warm to the minister, for it went out unto him from the day he
preached his first sermon. But the Lord regardeth not the
countenance of man."

"Nae doot, nae doot, but I canna see onything wrang in his doctrine;
it wudna be reasonable tae expect auld-fashioned sermons frae a
young man, and I wud coont them barely honest. A'm no denying that
he gaes far afield, and taks us tae strange lands when he's on his
travels, but ye 'ill acknowledge that he gaithers mony treasures,
and he aye comes back tae Christ."

"No, I will not be saying that John Carmichael does not love Christ,
for I hef seen the Lord in his sermons like a face through a
lattice. Oh yes, and I hef felt the fragrance of the myrrh. But I am
not liking his doctrine, and I wass thinking that some day there
will be no original sin left in the parish of Drumtochty."