Malcolm

g the key, but leaving it in the lock. He ascended to the upper town, only, however, to pass through its

he air filled with the sweet scents of cottage flowers. Across the fields came the occasional low of an ox, and the distant sounds of children at play. But Malcolm saw without noting, and heard without seeding, for his mind was full of speculation concerning the lovely girl, whose vision appeared already far off:-who might she be? whence had she come? whither could she have vanished? That she did not belong to the neighbourhood was certain, he thought; but there was a fa

se summits shot the spire of the church; and from beyond the spire, through the trees, came golden glimmers as of vane and crescent and pinnacled ball, t

with roses and honeysuckles. They were gathered irregularly about a gate of curious old ironwork, opening on the churchyard, but more like an en

beehive, out of a cottage rather larger than the rest, which stood close by the churchyard gate. It was the parish school, and these cottages were all that remained of the old town

church was anything but a hardship: in winter it was otherwise, for then th

acant, for the prayer was but just over, and the Bible class had not been called up: there Alexander Graham, the schoolmaster, descending from his desk, met and welcomed Malcolm with a kind shake of the hand. He was a man of middle height, but very thin; and about five and forty years of age, but looked older, because of his thin grey hair and a stoop in the shoulders. He was dressed in a shabby black tailcoat, and clean white neckcloth; the rest of his clothes were of parson grey, noticeably shabby also. The quiet sweetness

petition. He asserted himself perfectly able to provide for both for ten years to come at least, in proof of which he roused the inhabitants of Portlossie, during the space of a whole month, a full hour earlier than usual, with the most terrific blasts of the bagpipes, and this notwithstanding complaint and expostulation on all sides, so that at length the provost had to interfere; after which outburst of defiance to time, h

cousin, you know," said Mr Graham, in a hesitating and subdue

ething to hinner me.

tur

r. I s' be here

at he rarely contradicted anything: he would call up the opposing truth, set it face to face with the error, and leave the two to fight it out. The human mind and conscience were, he said, the plains of Armageddon, where the battle of good and evil was for ever raging; and the one business of a teacher was t

upon it. With a keen eye for the discovery of universal law in the individual fact, he read even the marvels of the New Testament practically. Hence, in training his soldiers, every

t beside and listened. That morning they had to

soon as the reading, each of the scho

followed; halting its wake, however, came the

some doo

"he was double. I must, I find, put the que

general hiss. But limping in the rear came again the half dissentien

tly,

ltie, that a man may

ither, an' whiles maybe it wad be ill to say whilk. Oor collie'

like a man, ye'll flee up wi' a quaiet face an' wide open een; an' there's a great Ane 'at 'll say to ye, 'Weel dune, laddie!' But gien ye gie in to the enemy, he'll

d gentleman, opened his mouth concerning the things he loved best, that

heltie, "Jacob hadna fo

erals, when their troops war rinnin' awa', haein' to cut this man doon, shute that ane, and lick anither, till he turned them

le faced maiden with blue eyes. "He was

kle aboot God at a'. Jacob was anither sort-a poet kin' o' a man, but a sneck drawin' cratur for a' that. It was easier, hooever, to get the slyness oot o' Jacob, than the dulness oot o' Esau. Punishment tellt upo' Jacob like upon a thin skinned horse, whauras Esau was mair like the min

clever as Jacob?" asked a wizened

l they're made oot. But whether what I tell ye be richt or no, God maun hae the verra best o' rizzons for 't, ower guid maybe for us to unnerstan'--the best o' rizzons for Esau himsel', I mean, for the Creator

e seated. In another, the sound of scuffling ar

hy, come up here," said t

e within a respectful distance of the master, whereupon

usiness to ca

nce was against me: he had no right to use my name for you, and the quarrel was

nd crept back to his seat wi

t got a name for you, but you have sent it away. Yo

he master saw that, instead of quarrelling any more during the day, the

e but the master's own. He had given the name of Peachy, for instance to William Wilson, because, like the kangaroo, he sought his object in a succession of awkward, yet not the less availing leaps-gulping his knowledge and pocketing his conquered marble after a like fashion. Mappy, the name which thus belonged to a certain flaxen haired, soft eyed girl, corresponds to the English bunny. Sheltie is the small Scotch mountain pony, active and strong. Peery means pegtop. But not above a quarter of the children had pet names. To gain one was to reach the highest honour of the school; the withdrawal of it was the

nger Darwin arose, had suspected a close relationship-remote identity, indeed, in nature and history, between the animal and human worlds. But phot

the troubled face of the mad laird peeped slowly in. His body followed as gently, and at last-sad symbol of his weight of care -his hump appeared, with a slow half revolution as he turned to shut the door behind him. Taking off his hat, he walked up to Mr Gra

which stood behind his desk. But, with the politest bow, the laird declined it, and mournfully repeating the words, "I

, and for days together he would attend regularly; in one instance he was not absent an hour for a whole month. He spoke so little, however, that it was impossible to tell how much he understood, although he seemed to

he latter who had by some kind attention awakened the watery glint of a smile on the melancholy features of the troubled man, would boast of her success. Hence i

be assailed by an often recurring impediment, during the continuance of which he could compass but a word here and there, often betaking himself in the agony of

n, and therefore once more required the services of the boy sun and boy moon. The moment the latter, however, began to describe his circle around the former, Mr Stewart stepped gravely up to him, and, laying hold of his hand, led him back to his station in the class: then, turning first one shoulder, then the other to the company, so as to attra

taught, and in the intervals sat, with book or slate before him, still as a Brahmin o

en whaur I

and share his homely meal, but with polished gesture and broken speech, Mr Stew