"Isna the warl' fu' o' bonnie things cheap?" Thomas went on. "The sun's fine and het the day. And syne whan he's mair nor we can bide, there's lots o' shaidows lyin' aboot upo' the face o' the warl'; though they say there's some countries whaur they're scarce, and the shaidow o' a great rock's thought something o' in a weary lan'? But we sudna think less o' a thing 'cause there's plenty o' 't. We hae a heap o' the gospel, but we dinna think the less o' 't for that. Because ye see it's no whether shaidows be dear or no that we think muckle or little o' them, but whether we be richt het and tired whan we win till ane o' them. It's that 'at maks the differ." Sorrow herself will reveal one day that she was only the beneficent shadow of Joy. Will Evil ever show herself the beneficent shadow of Good? "Whaur got Robert Bruce that gran' Bible, Annie, do ye ken?" resumed Thomas, after whitening his hypocrite in silence for a few moments. "That's my Bible, Thomas. Auld Mr Cowie gae't to me whan he was lyin' near-han' deith." "Hm! hm! ay! ay! And hoo cam' 't that ye didna tak' it and pit it i' yer ain kist?" "Maister Bruce tuik it and laid it i' the room as sune's I brocht it hame." "Did Maister Cowie say onything to ye aboot onything that was in't, no?" "Ay, did he. He spak' o' a five-poun' note that he had pitten in't. But whan I luikit for't, I cudna fin' 't." "Ay! ay! Whan did ye luik for't?" "I forgot it for twa or three days--maybe a week." "Do ye min' that Sunday nicht that twa or three o' 's cam hame wi' Bruce, and had worship wi' him an' you?" "Ay, weel eneuch. It was the first time he read oot o' my Bible." "Was't afore or efter that 'at ye luikit for the nott?" "It was the neist day; for the sicht o' the Bible pat it i' my min'. I oughtna to hae thocht aboot it o' the Sawbath; but it cam' o' 'tsel'; and I didna luik till the Mononday mornin', afore they war up. I reckon Mr Cowie forgot to pit it in efter a'."