the peace of God that passeth understanding; it's for the like o' them,

an' maybe no even sae muckle worth, folk daunton God to His face and burn

in muckle hell; and it's for that reason the Scripture ca's them, as I

read the passage, the accursed thing. Mary, ye girzie,' he interrupted

himself to cry with some asperity, 'what for hae ye no put out the twa

candlesticks?'

'Why should we need them at high noon?' she asked.

But my uncle was not to be turned from his idea. 'We'll bruik {16} them

while we may,' he said; and so two massive candlesticks of wrought silver

were added to the table equipage, already so unsuited to that rough sea-

side farm.

'She cam' ashore Februar' 10, about ten at nicht,' he went on to me.

'There was nae wind, and a sair run o' sea; and she was in the sook o'

the Roost, as I jaloose. We had seen her a' day, Rorie and me, beating

to the wind. She wasnae a handy craft, I'm thinking, that _Christ-Anna_;

for she would neither steer nor stey wi' them. A sair day they had of

it; their hands was never aff the sheets, and it perishin' cauld--ower

cauld to snaw; and aye they would get a bit nip o' wind, and awa' again,

to pit the emp'y hope into them. Eh, man! but they had a sair day for

the last o't! He would have had a prood, prood heart that won ashore

upon the back o' that.'

'And were all lost?' I cried. 'God held them!'

'Wheesht!' he said sternly. 'Nane shall pray for the deid on my hearth-

stane.'

I disclaimed a Popish sense for my ejaculation; and he seemed to accept

my disclaimer with unusual facility, and ran on once more upon what had

<<BackPagesTo menuNext>>