His grandfather, finding him silent, iterated
his remark, with the addition--"Put how could it pe a paad one,
you'll pe thinking, my poy, when he'd pe hafing such a text to keep
him straight."
Malcolm continued silent, for a good many people were within hearing,
whom he did not wish to see amused with the remarks certain to follow
any he could make. But Mr Graham, who happened to be walking near
the old man on the other side, out of pure politeness made a partial
response.
"Yes, Mr MacPhail," he said, "it was a grand text."
"Yes, and it wass'll pe a cran' sairmon," persisted Duncan.
"'Fenchence is mine--I will repay.' Ta Lord loves fenchence.
It's a fine thing, fenchence. To make ta wicked know tat tey'll pe
peing put men! Yes; ta Lord will slay ta wicked. Ta Lord will gif
ta honest man fenchence upon his enemies. It wass a cran' sairmon!"
"Don't you think vengeance a very dreadful thing, Mr MacPhail?"
said the schoolmaster.
"Yes, for ta von tat'll pe in ta wrong--I wish ta fenchence was
mine!" he added with a loud sigh.
"But the Lord doesn't think any of us fit to be trusted with it,
and so keeps it to himself, you see."
"Yes, and tat'll pe pecause it 'll pe too coot to be gifing to
another. And some people would be waik of heart, and be letting
teir enemies co."
"I suspect it's for the opposite reason, Mr MacPhail:--we would
go much too far, making no allowances, causing the innocent to
suffer along with the guilty, neither giving fair play nor avoiding
cruelty,--and indeed"
"No fear!" interrupted Duncan eagerly,--"no fear, when ta wrong
wass as larch as Morven!"
In the sermon there had not been one word as to St Paul's design
in quoting the text.
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