"I am glad to see you, Simon," said the minister, "for it will soon be the Communion Season, and it is your duty to go round with the tokens."
"True," said the man, "but it was another thing I came to talk about," and he told him the whole tale.
"There are but two ways of it, Simon," said the minister. "Either ye are the victim of witchcraft, or ye are a self-deluded man. If the former (whilk I am loth to believe), then it behoves ye to watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation. If the latter, then ye maun put a strict watch over a vagrom fancy, and ye'll be quit o' siccan whigmaleeries."
Now Simon was not listening, but staring out of the window. "There was another thing I had it in my mind to say," said he. "I have come to lift my lines, for I am thinking of leaving the place."
"And where would ye go?" asked the minister, aghast.
"I was thinking of going to Carlisle and trying my luck as a dealer, or maybe pushing on with droves to the South."
"But that's a cauld country where there are no faithfu' ministrations," said the minister.
"Maybe so, but I am not caring very muckle about ministrations," said the man, and the other looked after him in horror.
When he left the manse he went to a Wise Woman, who lived on the left side of the kirk-yard above Threepdaidle burn-foot. She was very old, and sat by the ingle day and night, waiting upon death. To her he told the same tale.
She listened gravely, nodding with her head. "Ach," she said, "I have heard a like story before. And where will you be going?"