The same moment he was on his feet and taking down
his bonnet; the next he disappeared in the closet, and Malcolm heard
the tinkling of the money in the lidless teapot; then out he came
with a tear on his face and a glimmer in his eyes.
The sun was down, and a bone piercing chill, incarnate in the
vague mist that haunted the ground, assailed them as they left the
cottage. The sea moaned drearily. A smoke seemed to ascend from
the horizon halfway to the zenith, something too thin for cloud,
too black for vapour; above that the stars were beginning to shine.
Joseph shivered and struck his hands against his shoulders.
"Care 's cauldrife," he said, and strode on.
Almost in silence they walked together to the county town, put up
at a little inn near the river, and at once began to make inquiries.
Not a few persons had seen the laird at different times, but none
knew where he slept or chiefly haunted. There was nothing for it
but to set out in the morning, and stray hither and thither, on
the chance of somewhere finding him.
CHAPTER LXII: THE CUTTLE FISH AND THE CRAB
Although the better portion of the original assembly had forsaken
the Baillies' Barn, there was still a regular gathering in it as
before, and if possible even a greater manifestation of zeal for the
conversion of sinners. True, it might not be clear to an outsider
that they always made a difference between being converted and
joining their company, so ready were they to mix up the two in their
utterances; and the result's of what they counted conversion were
sometimes such as the opponents of their proceedings would have had
them: the arrogant became yet more arrogant, and the greedy more
greedy; the tongues of the talkative went yet faster, and the gad
abouts were yet seldomer at home, while there was such a superabundance
of private judgment that it overflowed the cisterns of their own
concerns, and invaded the walled gardens of other people's motives:
yet, notwithstanding, the good people got good, if the other sort
got evil; for the meek shall inherit the earth, even when the
priest ascends the throne of Augustus.
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