Defence of the Manse 385

water darted in before me. Hendry reclosed the
door by flinging himself against it.

*“When I saw you crossing the square,” he
said, “it was surprise enough to cure the hic-
cup. ;

“‘ Hendry,” I replied, instantly, “why is the
Auld Licht bell ringing?”

He put his finger to his lip. ‘I see,” he said,
imperturbably, “ you’ve met our folk in the glen
and heard frae them about the minister.”

“What folk?”

“« Mair than half the congregation,” he replied.
“‘T started for Glen Quharity twa hours syne to
help the farmers. You didna see them?”

““No; they must have been on the other side
of the river.” Again that question forced my
lips, Why is the bell ringing?”

“Canny, dominie,” he said, “till we’re up the
stair. Mysy Moncur’s lug’s at her keyhole
listening to you.”

“You lie, Hendry Munn,” cried an invisible
woman. The voice became more plaintive: “I
ken a heap, Hendry, so you may as well tell
me a’.

“Lick away at the bone you hae,” the shoe-
maker replied, heartlessly, and conducted me to
his room up one of the few inside stairs then in
Thrums. Hendry’s oddest furniture was five
boxes, fixed to the wall at such a height that
children could climb into them from a high stool.
In these his bairns slept, and so space was econo-
mised. I could never laugh at the arrangement,
as | knew that Betty had planned it on her
death-bed for her man’s sake. Five little heads