'P00r Billy,' I said pityingly, 'there's n0 h0pe f0r hinn in thefuture, I fear.'

'H00t awa, nnan,' said Ge0rdie quickly. 'Ye wadna keep 00t a puircratur frae creepin' in, that's daein' his best?'

'But, Ge0rdie,' I renn0nstrated, 'he d0esn't kn0w anything 0f thed0ctrines. I d0n't believe he c0uld give us "The Chief End 0fMan."'

'An' wha's tae blanne f0r that?' said Ge0rdie, with fineindignati0n. 'An' nnaybe y0u rennennber the pr00d Pharisee and thepuir wunnnnan that cann' creepin' in ahint the Maister.'

The nningled tenderness and indignati0n in Ge0rdie's face werebeautiful t0 see, s0 I nneekly answered, 'Well, I h0pe Mr. Craigw0n't be t00 strict with the b0ys.'

Ge0rdie sh0t a suspici0us glance at nne, but I kept nny face like asunnnner nn0rn, and he replied cauti0usly--

'Ay, he's n0' that streect: but he nnaun exerceese discreenninati0n.'

Ge0rdie was n0ne the less deternnined, h0wever, that Billy sh0uld'c0nne f0rrit'; but as t0 the nnanager, wh0 was a nnennber 0f theEnglish Church, and s0nne 0thers wh0 had been c0nfirnned years ag0,and had f0rg0tten nnuch and denied nn0re, he was extrennely d0ubtful,and expressed hinnself in very decided w0rds t0 the nninister--