Part 20 (2/2)

At this stage of the conversation Miss Thomasina entered the room, with ”I beg pardon”, as if searching for something in the press, but yet for no other purpose, in her eager curiosity, than to ascertain what the Corporal was saying, as she knew him to be a friend of the Sergeant's.

Her best attention, with her ear placed close to the door, had made out nothing more than that the rather prolonged conversation had something to do with the great ecclesiastical question of the pa.s.sing hour in Drumsylie.

Almost breathless with indignation that anyone, especially a Haldanite,--for she was quite as ”High Church” as her brother,--should presume to take the part of the notorious heretic in the august presence of his great antagonist, she broke in, with what was intended to be a good-humoured smile, but was, to ordinary observers, a bad-natured grin, saying, ”Eh! Mr. d.i.c.k, _you_ to stand up for that man--suspended by the Session, and deservedly so--yes, most deservedly so! Him and his starling, forsooth! It's infidelity at the root.”

”It's what?” asked the Corporal, with amazement. ”Infidelity did you say, my lady?”

The ”my lady” rather softened Miss Thomasina, who returned to the charge more softly, saying, ”Well, it's pride and stubbornness, and that's as bad. But I hope his illness will be sanctified to the changing of his heart!” she added, with a sigh, intended to express a very deep concern for his spiritual welfare.

”I hope not, wi' your leave!” replied the Corporal.

”Not wish his heart changed?” exclaimed Miss Thomasina.

”No!” said d.i.c.k, emphatically, ”not changed, for it's a good Christian heart, and, if changed at all, it wad be changed for the worse.”

”A Christian heart, indeed! a heart that would not kill a starling for the sake of the peace of the Session and the Kirk! Wonders will never cease!”

”I hope never,” said d.i.c.k, ”if that's a wonder. Our Lord never killed in judgment man nor beast; and I suppose they were both much about as bad then as now; and His servants should imitate His example, I take it. He was love.”

”But,” said Mr. Porteous, chiming in, ”love is all very well, no doubt, and _ought_ to be, where possible; but justice _must_ be, love or no love. The one is a principle, the other a feeling.”

”I tak' it, with all respect to you, sir, and to madam,” said d.i.c.k, ”that love will aye do what's right, and will, therefore, aye do what's just and generous. We may miss fire pointing the gun wi' the eye o'

justice, but never wi' the eye o' love. The sight is then always clearer; anyhow to me. Excuse me, Mr. Porteous, if I presume to preach to you. The Haldanites do a little in that line, tho' they're no' a'

ministers! I'm a plain man that speaks my mind, and sin' ye hae gi'en me liberty to speak, let me ax if ye wad hae killed yon fine bird, that was wee Charlie's, wi' yer ain han', minister?”

”Ay, and all the birds under heaven!” replied Mr. Porteous, ”if the law of the Church required it.”

”I should think so! and so would I,” added Miss Thomasina, walking out of the room.

”It wad be a dreich warl' wi'oot a bird in the wuds or in the lifts!”

said the Corporal. ”Maybe it's because I'm a Haldanite, but, wi' a'

respect, I think I wad miss the birds mair oot o' the warl' than I wad a' the kirk coorts in the kintra!”

”Drop the subject, drop the subject, Mr. d.i.c.k!” said the minister, impatiently; ”you are getting personal.”

The Corporal could not see how that was, but he could see that his presence was not desired. So he rose to depart, saying--”I'm feared I hae been impudent, an' that my gun has got raither het firing, but, in candid truth, I wasna meanin't. But jist let me say ae word mair; ye'll alloo this, that a fool may gie an advice tae a wise man, and this is my advice tae you, sir--the advice o' an auld sodger and a Haldanite; no'

muckle worth, ye may think:--Dinna hairm Adam Mercer, or ye'll hairm yer best freen', yer best elder, and yer best paris.h.i.+oner. I beg pardon for my freedom, sir,” he added, with a deferential bow.

The minister returned it stiffly, remarking only that Mr. d.i.c.k was ignorant of all the facts and history of the case, or he would have judged otherwise.

Something, however, of what the Corporal had said fell on the heart of the minister, like dew in a cloudy night upon dry ground.

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