"How do you ken so much, Janet?"

"The things we ken best, are the things we were never told. I will not
die till I have seen Joris Van Heemskirk smoking his pipe with you on
his ain hearth, and in his ain summer-house. He can paint some new
mottoes o'er it then."

She was on the verge of crying, but she spoke with an irresistible
faith, and in spite of his stubborn loyalty to King George, Semple could
not put away the conviction that his wife's words were true. They had
all the force of an intuition. He felt that the conversation could not
be continued with Joris Van Heemskirk as its subject, and he said, "I
wonder what is keeping Neil? He told me he would be hame early
to-night."

"Then you saw him to-day?"

"He was in the King's Arms, when I went there to read my letter--he and
Governor Robertson--and I had a few words wi' the Governor anent Dr.
Rogers and the reopening of our kirk."

"You did well and right to speak to them. It is a sin and a shame in a
Christian country to be kept out o' Sabbath ordinances."

"He told me we had the Church o' England to go to."

"Aye; and we hae the King o' England to serve."

"Here comes Neil, and I am glad o' it. Somehow, he makes things mair
bearable."

The young man entered with a grave cheerfulness; he bowed to his father,
kissed his mother, and then drew a chair to the cold hearth. In a few
minutes he rang the bell, and when it was answered, bid the negro bring
hot coals and kindle the fire.

"Neil, my dear lad," said the Elder, "are you remembering that wood is
nearly ungetable--ten pounds or mair a cord? I hae but little left. I'm
feared it won't see the war out."

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