The Sergeant smiled, and nodded, and said, "I hope ye do, sir; I was sure ye would. I’m thankfu’ I cam’, and sae will Katie be." The burden was lifting off his heart. "But," said Mr. Porteous, after a pause and a long snuff, "I must be faithful with you, Adam: ’_First_ pure, _then_ peaceable,’ you know." "And I hope, sir," said Adam, "’easy to be entreated.’" "_That,_" replied Mr. Porteous, "depends on circumstances. Let us, therefore, look at the whole aspects of the case. There is to be considered, for example, your original delinquency, mistake, or call it by what name you please; then there is to be taken into account my full explanation, given ministerially in your own house, of the principles which guided my conduct and ought to guide yours; then there is also the matter of the Kirk Session--the fact that they have taken it up, which adds to its difficulty--a difficulty, however, let me say, Mr. Mercer, which has not been occasioned by me. Now, review all these--especially that with which you have personally most to do--the _origo mali_, so to speak--the fact that a bird endeared to you by very touching associations was, let me admit it, accidentally, and unintentionally,--let this also be granted for the sake of argument,--made by you the occasion of scandal. We are agreed on this point at least?" "It was on that point," interrupted the Sergeant, "I thought you doubted my honour." "No!" said Mr. Porteous; "I only declared that ’honour’ was a worldly, not a Christian phrase, and unfit therefore for a Church court." The Sergeant was nonplussed. Thinking his ignorance sinful, he bowed, and said no more.