116 The Little Minister

said the post. “He didna swear, of course, but
that was the face he had on.”

“TI missed it,” said Waster Lunny, “ for I was
in full cry after Ezra, with the sweat running
down my face.”

“ But the most astounding thing has yet to be
telled,’ went on Elspeth. ‘ The minister shook
himsel’ like one wakening frae a nasty dream, and
he cries in a voice of thunder, just as if he was
shaking his fist at somebody —”

“ He cries,” Birse interposed, cleverly, “he
cries, ‘ You will find the text in Genesis, chapter
three, verse six.’”

“Yes,” said Elspeth, “first he gave out one
text, and then he gave out another, being the
most amazing thing to my mind that ever
happened in the town of Thrums. What will
our children’s children think o’t? I wouldna hae
missed it for a pound note.”

“Nor me,” said Waster Lunny, “though I
only got the tail o’t. Dominie, no sooner had he
said Genesis third and sixth, than I laid my finger
on Ezra. Was it no provoking? Onybody can
turn up Genesis, but it needs an able-bodied man
to find Ezra.”

“He preached on the Fall,” Elspeth said, “ for
an hour and twenty-five minutes, but powerful
though he was I would rather he had telled us
what made him gie the go-by to Ezra.”

“All I can say,” said Waster Lunny, “is that
I never heard him mair awe-inspiring. Whaur
has he got sic a knowledge of women? He
riddled them, he fair riddled them, till I was

ashamed o’ being married.”