"Ye will maybe not know what it iss, Moderator," and Lachlan regarded the minister with austere superiority, for it was the winter of the feud.
No, he did not, nor any of the Session, being all douce Scotchmen, except Donald Menzies who was at home fighting the devil.
"It iss broken bones, and Dr. John did preach three hours upon it at Auchindarroch Fast, and there wass not many went to the Sacrament on that occasion.
"Broken bones iss a fine mark to begin with, and the next will be doubts. But there iss a deeper," continued Lachlan, warming to his subject, "oh yes, far deeper, and I heard of it when I wass North for the sheep, and I will not be forgetting that day with Janet Macfarlane.
"I knew she wass a professor, and I wass looking for her marks. But it wass not for me to hef been searching her; it wass that woman that should hef been trying me."
A profound silence wrapt the Session.
"'Janet,' I said, 'hef ye had many doubts?'
"'Doubts, Lachlan? was that what you asked? I hef had desertions, and one will be for six months.'
"So I saw she wass far beyond me, for I dare not be speaking about desertions."
Two minutes after the minister pronounced the benediction, and no one had offered any remark in the interval.