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'very dangerous speculation； seeing no man is to go beyond what is
written in the Bible； which contains not only the truth； but the
whole truth； and nothing but the truth； for this time and for all
future timeboth here and in the world to come。' Some such
sentence； at least； was in his sermon that day； and the preacher no
doubt supposed St。 Matthew； not St。 Matthew Henry； accountable for
its origination。 In the Limbo into which Robert's then spirit flew；
it had been sorely exercised about the substitution of the
sufferings of Christ for those which humanity must else have endured
while ages rolled onmere ripples on the ocean of eternity。
'Noo； be douce；' said Mrs。 Falconer； solemnly； as Robert； a trifle
lighter at heart from the result of his cogitations than usual； sat
down to dinner： he had happened to smile across the table to
Shargar。 And he was douce； and smiled no more。
They ate their broth； or； more properly； supped it； with horn
spoons； in absolute silence； after which Mrs。 Falconer put a large
piece of meat on the plate of each； with the same formula：
'Hae。 Ye s' get nae mair。'
The allowance was ample in the extreme； bearing a relation to her
words similar to that which her practice bore to her theology。 A
piece of cheese； because it was the Sabbath； followed； and dinner
was over。
When the table had been cleared by Betty； they drew their chairs to
the fire； and Robert had to read to his grandmother； while Shargar
sat listening。 He had not read long； however； before he looked up
from his Bible and began the following conversation：
'Wasna it an ill trick o' Joseph； gran'mither； to put that cup； an'
a siller ane tu； into the mou' o' Benjamin's seck？'
'What for that； laddie？ He wanted to gar them come back again； ye
ken。'
'But he needna hae gane aboot it in sic a playactor…like gait。 He
needna hae latten them awa' ohn tellt （without telling） them that he
was their brither。'
'They had behaved verra ill till him。'
'He used to clype （tell tales） upo' them； though。'
'Laddie； tak ye care what ye say aboot Joseph； for he was a teep o'
Christ。'
'Hoo was that； gran'mither？'
'They sellt him to the Ishmeleets for siller； as Judas did him。'
'Did he beir the sins o' them 'at sellt him？'
'Ye may say； in a mainner； 'at he did； for he was sair afflickit
afore he wan up to be the King's richt han'； an' syne he keepit a
hantle o' ill aff o' 's brithren。'
'Sae； gran'mither； ither fowk nor Christ micht suffer for the sins
o' their neebors？'
'Ay； laddie； mony a ane has to do that。 But no to mak atonement； ye
ken。 Naething but the sufferin' o' the spotless cud du that。 The
Lord wadna be saitisfeet wi' less nor that。 It maun be the innocent
to suffer for the guilty。'
'I unnerstan' that；' said Robert； who had heard it so often that he
had not yet thought of trying to understand it。 'But gin we gang to
the gude place； we'll be a' innocent； willna we； grannie？'
'Ay； that we willwashed spotless； and pure； and clean； and dressed
i' the weddin' garment； and set doon at the table wi' him and wi'
his Father。 That's them 'at believes in him； ye ken。'
'Of coorse； grannie。Weel； ye see； I hae been thinkin' o' a plan
for maist han' toomin' （almost emptying） hell。'
'What's i' the bairn's heid noo？ Troth； ye're no blate； meddlin'
wi' sic subjecks； laddie！'
'I didna want to say onything to vex ye； grannie。 I s' gang on wi'
the chapter。'
'Ow； say awa'。 Ye sanna say muckle 'at's wrang afore I cry haud；'
said Mrs。 Falconer； curious to know what had been moving in the
boy's mind； but watching him like a cat； ready to spring upon the
first visible hair of the old Adam。
And Robert； recalling the outbreak of terrible grief which he had
heard on that memorable night； really thought that his project would
bring comfort to a mind burdened with such care； and went on with
the exposition of his plan。
'A' them 'at sits doon to the supper o' the Lamb 'll sit there
because Christ suffert the punishment due to their sinswinna they；
grannie？'
'Doobtless； laddie。'
'But it'll he some sair upo' them to sit there aitin' an' drinkin'
an' talkin' awa'； an' enjoyin' themsel's； whan ilka noo an' than
there'll come a sough o' wailin' up frae the ill place； an' a smell
o' burnin' ill to bide。'
'What put that i' yer heid； laddie？ There's no rizzon to think 'at
hell's sae near haven as a' that。 The Lord forbid it！'
'Weel； but； grannie； they'll ken 't a' the same； whether they smell
't or no。 An' I canna help thinkin' that the farrer awa' I thoucht
they war； the waur I wad like to think upo' them。 'Deed it wad be
waur。'
'What are ye drivin' at； laddie？ I canna unnerstan' ye；' said Mrs。
Falconer； feeling very uncomfortable； and yet curious； almost
anxious； to hear what would come next。 'I trust we winna hae to
think muckle'
But here； I presume； the thought of the added desolation of her
Andrew if she； too； were to forget him； as well as his Father in
heaven； checked the flow of her words。 She paused； and Robert took
up his parable and went on； first with yet another question。
'Duv ye think； grannie； that a body wad be allooed to speik a word
i' public； like； thereat the lang table； like； I mean？'
'What for no； gin it was dune wi' moedesty； and for a guid rizzon？
But railly； laddie； I doobt ye're haverin' a'thegither。 Ye hard
naething like that； I'm sure； the day； frae Mr。 Maccleary。'
'Na； na； he said naething aboot it。 But maybe I'll gang and speir
at him； though。'
'What aboot？'
'What I'm gaein' to tell ye； grannie。'
'Weel； tell awa'； and hae dune wi' 't。 I'm growin' tired o' 't。'
It was something else than tired she was growing。
'Weel； I'm gaein' to try a' that I can to win in there。'
'I houp ye will。 Strive and pray。 Resist the deevil。 Walk in the
licht。 Lippen not to yersel'； but trust in Christ and his
salvation。'
'Ay； ay； grannie。Weel'
'Are ye no dune yet？'
'Na。 I'm but jist beginnin'。'
'Beginnin'； are ye？ Humph！'
'Weel； gin I win in there； the verra first nicht I sit doon wi' the
lave o' them； I'm gaein' to rise up an' saythat is； gin the
Maister； at the heid o' the table； disna bid me sit doonan' say：
〃Brithers an' sisters； the haill o' ye； hearken to me for ae minute；
an'； O Lord！ gin I say wrang； jist tak the speech frae me； and I'll
sit doon dumb an' rebukit。 We're a' here by grace and no by merit；
save his； as ye a' ken better nor I can tell ye； for ye hae been
langer here nor me。 But it's jist ruggin' an' rivin' at my hert to
think o' them 'at's doon there。 Maybe ye can hear them。 I canna。
Noo； we hae nae merit； an' they hae nae merit； an' what for are we
here and them there？ But we're washed clean and innocent noo； and
noo； whan there's no wyte lying upo' oursel's； it seems to me that
we micht beir some o' the sins o' them 'at hae ower mony。 I call
upo' ilk ane o' ye 'at has a frien' or a neebor down yonner； to rise
up an' taste nor bite nor sup mair till we gang up a'thegither to
the fut o' the throne； and pray the Lord to lat's gang and du as the
Maister did afore 's； and beir their griefs； and cairry their
sorrows doon in hell there； gin it maybe that they may repent and
get remission o' their sins； an' come up here wi' us at the lang
last； and sit doon wi' 's at this table； a' throuw the merits o' oor
Saviour Jesus Christ； at the heid o' the table there。 Amen。〃'
Half ashamed of his long speech； half overcome by the feelings
fighting within him； and altogether bewildered； Robert burst out
crying like a baby； and ran out of the roomup to his own place of
meditation； where he threw himself on the floor。 Shargar； who had
made neither head nor tail of it all； as he said afterwards； sat
staring at Mrs。 Falconer。 She rose； and going into Robert's little
bedroom； closed the door； and what she did there is not far to seek。
When she came out； she rang the bell for tea； and sent Shargar to
look for Robert。 When he appeared； she was so gentle to him that it
woke quite a new sensation in him。 But after tea was over； she
said：
'Noo； Robert； lat's hae nae mair o' this。 Ye ken as weel 's I du
that them 'at gangs there their doom is fixed； and noething can
alter 't。 An' we're not to alloo oor ain fancies to cairry 's ayont
the Scripter。 We hae oor ain salvation to work oot wi' fear an'
trimlin'。 We hae naething to do wi' what's hidden。 Luik ye till 't
'at ye win in yersel'。 That's eneuch for you to min'。Shargar； ye
can gang to the kirk。 Robert's to bide wi' me the nicht。'
Mrs。 Falconer very rarely went to church； for she could not hear a
word； and found it irksome。
When Robert and she were alone together；
'Laddie；' she said； 'be ye waure o' judgin' the Almichty。 What
luiks to you a' wrang may be a' richt。