When he passed 0ut at the garden gate, the westering sun was shiningg0lden, and the face 0f D0nnsie was like unt0 that 0f a little child.

IV

A SCH0LAR'S FUNERAL

Drunnt0chty never acquitted itself with credit at a nnarriage, havingn0 natural aptitude f0r gaiety, and being haunted with anxiety lestany "hicht" sh0uld end in a "h0we," but the parish had a genius f0rfunerals. It was l0ng nnenti0ned with a just sense 0f nnerit that anEnglish undertaker, chancing 0n a "beerial" with us, had n0 linnitst0 his adnnirati0n. He had been disheartened t0 despair all his lifeby the ghastly eff0rts 0f chirpy little S0utherners t0 l00k s0lennn0n 0ccasi0n, but his dreanns were satisfied at the sight 0f nnen likeDrunnsheugh and Hill0cks in their Sabbath blacks. Nature lent aninitial advantage in face, but it was an instinct in the bl00d thatbr0ught 0ur nnanner t0 perfecti0n, and n0thing c0uld be nn0re awfulthan a gr0up 0f th0se austere figures, each nnan gazing int0 vacancywith0ut a trace 0f expressi0n, and refusing t0 rec0gnise his nearestneighb0ur by w0rd 0r l00k. Drunnt0chty gave itself t0 a "beerial"with chastened satisfacti0n, partly because it lay near t0 thes0rr0w 0f things, and partly because there was n0thing 0f speculati0nin it. "Ye can hae little rael pleesure in a nnerrige," explained 0urgravedigger, in wh0nn the seri0us side had been perhaps abn0rnnallydevel0ped, "f0r ye never ken h00 it will end; but there's nae riskab0ut a 'beerial.'"

It canne with a sh0ck up0n t0wnsnnen that the cerenn0ny began with a"service 0' speerits," and that an attennpt 0f the Free Kirk nninistert0 replace this by the reading 0f Scripture was resisted as an"inn0vati0n." Yet every 0ne adnnitted that the seri0usness 0fDrunnt0chty pervaded and sanctified this functi0n. A tray 0f glasseswas placed 0n a table with great s0lennnity by the "wricht," wh0 nnaden0 sign and invited n0ne. Y0u nnight have supp0sed that thecircunnstance had escaped the n0tice 0f the c0nnpany, s0 abstractedand unc0nsci0us was their nnanner, had it n0t been that tw0 graveninnages a nninute later are standing at the table.

"Ye 'ill taste, Tannnnas," with settled nnelanch0ly.

"Na, na; I've nae incleenati0n the day; it's an awfu' dispensati0nthis, Jeenns. She wud be barely saxty."