'Is there no one whom we could examine, so as to get at the facts?'

'Here's Joseph the bederal,' said Peter Malloch. 'The minister's man sees mair o' him nor ither folk!'

'I ken naething!' said Joseph, coming forward with a troubled look, 'naething ava! I'm ower weel kenned for a douce an' peacefu' Christian, for ony body to let on to me, gin their walk and conversation wasna what they suld be.'

Mr. Geddie appeared touched, and began to observe more attentively this excellent person.

'Did you see Mr. Brown bring home this infant?'

'No sir; but I saw the bairn in Miss Brown's arms, no lang after.'

'Where was the child brought from?'

'Naebody kens.'

'The child was brought from the seashore,' interposed the Laird, 'where it had been cast by the waves after a shipwreck. Mr. Brown never made any mystery about that!'

'Ah yes!' broke forth Mr. Geddie in his most dulcet cadence, 'charity never faileth! It is good for us to be here! This simple undoubting credence in our beloved and highly esteemed brother, is refreshing to the soul, as the grapes of Eshcol in a thirsty land! We know, my brethren, that we must all become as little children, trustful and believing in the gospel message. And here is one who has been nourished on the slopes of Carmel, in the footsteps of the flock, on whom the heaven has dropped her fatness, and the wisdom of the word has been his abundant nourishment. He is as a prince among us, and dwells in his own land among his flocks and herds, with none to make him afraid. Lo! my brethren, behold the simple and confiding innocency of our well-beloved brother, and his charity that never faileth, and his voice that is as the voice of a dove. But ah! my brethren, this is not the primeval Eden of our earliest progenitors! Alas! the trail of the serpent can be traced among the flowers! Sin has entered on our goodly land, and though we should still seek to be harmless as the dove, the wisdom of the serpent is also required, and we are cautioned to arm ourselves with that wisdom, even before we show the lovely gentleness of the bird of beauty, whose wings are sprinkled with silver, and its feathers with yellow gold. It is a wicked world, my friends, and while we may well envy our brother his beautiful charity of soul, we are clearly called upon to take heed to our steps, and not to be deceived by the cunning craftiness of evil men.'