"Mactavish gloweblack at him for perhaps a meenut till the puir craturfell back intae his seat.

"'Man,' says Mactavish, 'I do not know who you are, and I do notknow what you are, and I shall not be asking who you are, and I amnot caring though you be MacCallummore himsel'. You are just aParable, oh yes, just a Parable.

"'But if ye be convicted of secret sin ye may go out, and if therebe anybody else whose sins have been laid bare he may go out too,and if nobody wants to go out, then I will be going on with thesermon, oh yes, for it will not do to be spending all our time onParables.'

"As sure as a'm stannin' here ye cudna look at Hopps inside his claitheswhen Mactavish wes dune wi' him."

When the train started Hillocks received the compliments of thethird with much modesty, and added piquant details regarding theutter confusion of our sermon taster.

"'Did ye follow?' a' speirit o' Elspeth afore a' went tae pit Hoppsthegither.

"'Cud a' follow a bumbee?' was the only word a' got frae her; a' sawshe was beatwelve for aince and wes rael mad."