"'Did that cloud come ower us at the side of the hay-field that day for naething, Jessy?' She could not answer me. The sun set, and one or two heavy drops of rain fell, and the lift darkened--ay, and something darker and drearier stole across my brain than the shadows which now began to settle down on the fair face of external nature. My heart fluttered for a moment, then made long irregular throbs, and finally I became dizzy and faint, and almost fell to the ground with Jessy in my arms. 'Was I, in very truth, in the presence of an evil spirit?' said I to myself. "'Why,' said the young gentleman, 'what has come over you, Saunders? I won't tell, man--so keep your own secret, and nobody will be a whit the wiser.' "'Secret, sir!' said I, deeply stung; 'secret--I have nane, sir--nane--that I love the lassie, the haill parish kens, and I am not ashamed of it; but if you--ay, you, sir, or _any_ man, dares'---- "'Heyday--dares! What do you mean by that, Master Skelp?--Dares!' "My recollection and self-possession returned at this moment. "'I beg pardon, sir; I have been taken by surprise, and in my anxiety to vindicate Jessy from all suspicion, I have been very uncivil to you. I am sorry for it.' "The abjectness of this apology caused me to blush to the eyes, but it was made, as I thought, to serve my heart-dear girl, and gulping down my chagrin and wounded pride, I turned to go away. "'Well, well, Dominie, I forgive you, man, and I _believe_ there is nothing wrong between you two after all. I only spoke in jest, man, and am in turn sorry to have given you pain; so gie's your hand--there--and I must have a kiss from Miss Miller, the darling, or I never shall believe that you have both really and truly forgiven me.' "We returned together to the village. I would willingly have shaken off the youngster, but he insisted on seeing Jessy home, and as I had no plea to prevent him, I submitted in great bitterness of spirit. "The next day he departed for London, to my great solace, and we heard nothing of him for several months, so I once more buckled to my schoolmaster's labours with a light heart; and if my friends did not flatter me, I also greatly improved in my preaching. "At first, before I had confidence in my ain power and presence of mind, I slavishly wrote down all my sermons, and read them still more servilely, never trusting my finger neb off the manuscript, as if I had been frichtened it would have ta'en wing and flown away from under my nose; but I gradually began to trust mysell away in a wee bit flicht now and then, like a half-fledged shillfa[2] with the puddock-hair on, hopping about its nest, but always ready to drop into it again, as I was into the written discourse. [2] Chaffinch.