"He gied awa' lauchin' like tae split his sides, an' the fac' isthere's no ane o' them asks me a question but he lauchs. They're alicht-headed fouk, and no sair educat. But we maunna boast; theyhevna hed oor advantages."

The minister made a brave effort to assert himself.

"Is there anything I can do?" but the figure simply waved its handand resumed:

"A'm comin' tae that, but a' thocht ye wud be wantin' ma opeenion o'London.

"Weel, ye see, the first thing a' did, of coorse, after settlin'doon, was tae gae roond the kirks and hear what kin' o' ministersthey hae up here. A've been in saxteen kirks the last three weeks,an' a' wud hae been in mair had it no bin for ma oors.

"Ay, ay, a' ken ye 'ill be wantin' ma judgment," interpreting a movementin the chair, "an' ye 'ill hae it. Some wes puir stuff--plenty o' waterand little meal--and some wesna sae bad for England. But ye 'ill bepleased to know," here the figure relaxed and beamed on the anxiousminister, "that a'm rael weel satisfied wi' yersel', and a'm thinkin'o' sittin' under ye.

"Man," were Drumtochty's last words, "a' wish Elspeth Macfadyen cudhear ye, her 'at prees (tastes) the sermons in oor Glen; a' believeshe wud pass ye, an' if ye got a certeeficat frae Elspeth, ye wud bea prood man."