290 The Little Minister

him. He came because a servant at the Spittal
was supposed to have done the deed.”

“Well, Mr. Dishart,’ I had to say, “why
should I deny that I have a warm regard for
you? You have done brave work in our
town.”

“It has been little,” he replied. ‘ With God’s
help it will be more in future.”

He meant that he had given time to his sad
love affair that he owed to his people. Of seeing
Babbie again I saw that he had given up hope.
Instead of repining, he was devoting his whole
soul to God’s work. I was proud of him, and
yet I grieved, for I could not think that God
wanted him to bury his youth so soon.

“J had thought,” he confessed to me, “ that
you were one of those who did not like my
preaching.”

“You were mistaken,’ I said, gravely. I
dared not tell him that, except his mother, none
would have sat under him so eagerly as I.

“¢ Nevertheless,” he said, “‘ you were a member
of the Auld Licht church in Mr. Carfrae’s time,
and you left it when I came.”

“J heard your first sermon,” I said.

“ Ah,” he replied. “I had not been long in
Thrums before I discovered that if I took tea
with any of my congregation and declined a
second cup, they thought it a reflection on their
brewing.”

“You must not look upon my absence in that
light,” was all I could say. ‘“ There are reasons
why I cannot come.”

He did not press me further, thinking I meant