The man was but reflecting, without knowing it, what the soutar had been
saying the last time they encountered; neither did he think, at the moment,
that the Lord himself had said something like it first.

"And I was thinkin, this vera meenute," returned the soutar, "sic a bonny
day as it was for the Lord to gang aboot amang his ain fowk. I was thinkin
maybe he was come upon Maggie, and was walkin wi' her up the hill to
Stanecross--nearer til her, maybe, nor she could hear or see or think!"

"Ye're a deal taen up wi' vain imaiginins, MacLear!" rejoined the minister,
tartly. "What scriptur hae ye for sic a wanderin' invention, o' no
practical value?"

"'Deed, sir, what scriptur hed I for takin my brakwast this mornin, or ony
mornin? Yet I never luik for a judgment to fa' upon me for that! I'm
thinkin we dee mair things in faith than we ken--but no eneuch! no eneuch!
I was thankfu' for't, though, I min' that, and maybe that'll stan' for
faith. But gien I gang on this gait, we'll be beginnin as we left aff last
nicht, and maybe fa' to strife! And we hae to loe ane anither, not accordin
to what the ane thinks, or what the ither thinks, but accordin as each
kens the Maister loes the ither, for he loes the twa o' us thegither."

"But hoo ken ye that he's pleased wi' ye?"

"I said naething aboot that: I said he loes you and me!"

"For that, he maun be pleast wi' ye!"

"I dinna think nane aboot that; I jist tak my life i' my han', and awa' wi'
't til _Him_;--and he's never turned his face frae me yet.--Eh, sir! think