summit　of　Black　Fell；　sometimes　like　the　mere　grass　top　of　a　hill；
  sometimes　（and　this　is　her　own　expression）　like　a　precious　jewel　in　the
  heavens。　　On　such　days；　upon　the　sudden　view　of　it；　her　hand　would
  tighten　on　the　child's　fingers；　her　voice　rise　like　a　song。　〃I　TO　THE
  HILLS！〃　she　would　repeat。　〃And　O；　Erchie；　are　nae　these　like　the　hills
  of　Naphtali？〃　and　her　tears　would　flow。
  Upon　an　impressionable　child　the　effect　of　this　continual　and　pretty
  accompaniment　to　life　was　deep。　　The　woman's　quietism　and　piety　passed
  on　to　his　different　nature　undiminished；　but　whereas　in　her　it　was　a
  native　sentiment；　in　him　it　was　only　an　implanted　dogma。　　Nature　and　the
  child's　pugnacity　at　times　revolted。　　A　cad　from　the　Potterrow　once
  struck　him　in　the　mouth；　he　struck　back；　the　pair　fought　it　out　in　the
  back　stable　lane　towards　the　Meadows；　and　Archie　returned　with　a
  considerable　decline　in　the　number　of　his　front　teeth；　and
  unregenerately　boasting　of　the　losses　of　the　foe。　　It　was　a　sore　day　for
  Mrs。　Weir；　she　wept　and　prayed　over　the　infant　backslider　until　my　lord
  was　due　from　Court；　and　she　must　resume　that　air　of　tremulous　composure
  with　which　she　always　greeted　him。　　The　judge　was　that　day　in　an
  observant　mood；　and　remarked　upon　the　absent　teeth。
  〃I　am　afraid　Erchie　will　have　been　fechting　with　some　of　they　blagyard
  lads；〃　said　Mrs。　Weir。
  My　lord's　voice　rang　out　as　it　did　seldom　in　the　privacy　of　his　own
  house。　　〃I'll　have　norm　of　that；　sir！〃　he　cried。　　〃Do　you　hear　me？　…
  nonn　of　that！　　No　son　of　mine　shall　be　speldering　in　the　glaur　with　any
  dirty　raibble。〃
  The　anxious　mother　was　grateful　for　so　much　support；　she　had　even　feared
  the　contrary。　　And　that　night　when　she　put　the　child　to　bed　…　〃Now；　my
  dear；　ye　see！〃　she　said；　〃I　told　you　what　your　faither　would　think　of
  it；　if　he　heard　ye　had　fallen　into　this　dreidful　sin；　and　let　you　and　me
  pray　to　God　that　ye　may　be　keepit　from　the　like　temptation　or
  strengthened　to　resist　it！〃
  The　womanly　falsity　of　this　was　thrown　away。　　Ice　and　iron　cannot　be
  welded；　and　the　points　of　view　of　the　Justice…Clerk　and　Mrs。　Weir　were
  not　less　unassimilable。　　The　character　and　position　of　his　father　had
  long　been　a　stumbling…block　to　Archie；　and　with　every　year　of　his　age
  the　difficulty　grew　more　instant。　　The　man　was　mostly　silent；　when　he
  spoke　at　all；　it　was　to　speak　of　the　things　of　the　world；　always　in　a
  worldly　spirit；　often　in　language　that　the　child　had　been　schooled　to
  think　coarse；　and　sometimes　with　words　that　he　knew　to　be　sins　in
  themselves。　　Tenderness　was　the　first　duty；　and　my　lord　was　invariably
  harsh。　　God　was　love；　the　name　of　my　lord　（to　all　who　knew　him）　was
  fear。　　In　the　world；　as　schematised　for　Archie　by　his　mother；　the　place
  was　marked　for　such　a　creature。　　There　were　some　whom　it　was　good　to
  pity　and　well　（though　very　likely　useless）　to　pray　for；　they　were　named
  reprobates；　goats；　God's　enemies；　brands　for　the　burning；　and　Archie
  tallied　every　mark　of　identification；　and　drew　the　inevitable　private
  inference　that　the　Lord　Justice…Clerk　was　the　chief　of　sinners。
  The　mother's　honesty　was　scarce　complete。　　There　was　one　influence　she
  feared　for　the　child　and　still　secretly　combated；　that　was　my　lord's；
  and　half　unconsciously；　half　in　a　wilful　blindness；　she　continued　to
  undermine　her　husband　with　his　son。　　As　long　as　Archie　remained　silent；
  she　did　so　ruthlessly；　with　a　single　eye　to　heaven　and　the　child's
  salvation；　but　the　day　came　when　Archie　spoke。　　It　was　1801；　and　Archie
  was　seven；　and　beyond　his　years　for　curiosity　and　logic；　when　he　brought
  the　case　up　openly。　　If　judging　were　sinful　and　forbidden；　how　came　papa
  to　be　a　judge？　to　have　that　sin　for　a　trade？　to　bear　the　name　of　it　for
  a　distinction？
  〃I　can't　see　it；〃　said　the　little　Rabbi；　and　wagged　his　head。
  Mrs。　Weir　abounded　in　commonplace　replies。
  〃No；　I　cannae　see　it；〃　reiterated　Archie。　　〃And　I'll　tell　you　what；
  mamma；　I　don't　think　you　and　me's　justifeed　in　staying　with　him。〃
  The　woman　awoke　to　remorse；　she　saw　herself　disloyal　to　her　man；　her
  sovereign　and　bread…winner；　in　whom　（with　what　she　had　of　worldliness）
  she　took　a　certain　subdued　pride。　　She　expatiated　in　reply　on　my　lord's
  honour　and　greatness；　his　useful　services　in　this　world　of　sorrow　and
  wrong；　and　the　place　in　which　he　stood；　far　above　where　babes　and
  innocents　could　hope　to　see　or　criticise。　　But　she　had　builded　too　well
  …　Archie　had　his　answers　pat：　Were　not　babes　and　innocents　the　type　of
  the　kingdom　of　heaven？　　Were　not　honour　and　greatness　the　badges　of　the
  world？　　And　at　any　rate；　how　about　the　mob　that　had　once　seethed　about
  the　carriage？
  〃It's　all　very　fine；〃　he　concluded；　〃but　in　my　opinion　papa　has　no　right
  to　be　it。　　And　it　seems　that's　not　the　worst　yet　of　it。　　It　seems　he's
  called　〃The　Hanging　judge〃　…　it　seems　he's　crooool。　　I'll　tell　you　what
  it　is；　mamma；　there's　a　tex'　borne　in　upon　me：　It　were　better　for　that
  man　if　a　milestone　were　bound　upon　his　back　and　him　flung　into　the
  deepestmost　pairts　of　the　sea。〃
  〃O；　my　lamb；　ye　must　never　say　the　like　of　that！〃　she　cried。　〃Ye're　to
  honour　faither　and　mother；　dear；　that　your　days　may　be　long　in　the　land。
  It's　Atheists　that　cry　out　against　him　…　French　Atheists；　Erchie！　　Ye
  would　never　surely　even　yourself　down　to　be　saying　the　same　thing　as
  French　Atheists？　　It　would　break　my　heart　to　think　that　of　you。　　And　O；
  Erchie；　here　are'na　YOU　setting　up　to　JUDGE？　　And　have　ye　no　forgot
  God's　plain　command　…　the　First　with　Promise；　dear？　　Mind　you　upon　the
  beam　and　the　mote！〃
  Having　thus　carried　the　war　into　the　enemy's　camp；　the　terrified　lady
  breathed　again。　　And　no　doubt　it　is　easy　thus　to　circumvent　a　child　with
  catchwords；　but　it　may　be　questioned　how　far　it　is　effectual。　　An
  instinct　in　his　breast　detects　the　quibble；　and　a　voice　condemns　it。　　He
  will　instantly　submit；　privately　hold　the　same　opinion。　　For　even　in
  this　simple　and　antique　relation　of　the　mother　and　the　child；
  hypocrisies　are　multiplied。
  When　the　Court　rose　that　year　and　the　family　returned　to　Hermiston；　it
  was　a　common　remark　in　all　the　country　that　the　lady　was　sore　failed。
  She　seemed　to　loose　and　seize　again　her　touch　with　life；　now　sitting
  inert　in　a　sort　of　durable　bewilderment；　anon　waking　to　feverish　and
  weak　activity。　　She　dawdled　about　the　lasses　at　their　work；　looking
  stupidly　on；　she　fell　to　rummaging　in　old　cabinets　and　presses；　and
  desisted　when　half　through；　she　would　begin　remarks　with　an　air　of
  animation　and　drop　them　without　a　struggle。　　Her　common　appearance　was
  of　one　who　has　forgotten　something　and　is　trying　to　remember；　and　when
  she　overhauled；　one　after　another；　the　worthless　and　touching　mementoes
  of　her　youth；　she　might　have　been　seeking　the　clue　to　that　lost　thought。
  During　this　period；　she　gave　many　gifts　to　the　neighbours　and　house
  lasses；　giving　them　with　a　manner　of　regret　that　embarrassed　the
  recipients。
  The　last　night　of　all　she　was　busy　on　some　female　work；　and　toiled　upon
  it　with　so　manifest　and　painful　a　devotion　that　my　lord　（who　was　not
  often　curious）　inquired　as　to　its　nature。
  She　blushed　to　the　eyes。　　〃O；　Edom；　it's　for　you！〃　she　said。　　〃It's
  slippers。　I　…　I　hae　never　made　ye　any。〃
  〃Ye　daft　auld　wife！〃　returned　his　lordship。　　〃A　bonny　figure　I　would
  be；　palmering　about　in　bauchles！〃
  The　next　day；　at　the　hour　of　her　walk；　Kirstie　interfered。　　Kirstie　took
  this　decay　of　her　mistress　very　hard；　bore　her　a　grudge；　quarrelled　with
  and　railed　upon　her；　the　anxiety　of　a　genuine　love　wearing　the　disguise
  of　temper。　　This　day　of　all　days　she　insisted　disrespectfully；　with
  rustic　fury；　that　Mrs。　Weir　should　stay　at　home。　　But；　〃No；　no；〃　she
  said；　〃it's　my　lord's　orders；〃　and　set　forth　as　usual。　　Archie　was
  visible　in　the　acre　bog；　engaged　upon　some　childish　enterprise；　the
  instrument　of　which　was　mire；　and　she　stood　and　looked　at　him　a　while
  like　one　about　to　call；　then　thought　otherwise；　sighed；　and　shook　her
  head；　and　proceeded　on　her　rounds　alone。　　The　house　lasses　were　at　the
  burnside　washing；　and　saw　her　pass　with　her　loose；　weary；　dowdy　gait。
  〃She's　a　terrible　feckless　wife；　the　mistress！〃　said　the　one。
  〃Tut；〃　said　the　other；　〃the　wumman's　seeck。〃
  〃Weel；　I　canna　see　nae　differ　in　her；〃　returned　the　first。　〃A
  fushionless　quean；　a　feckless　carline。〃
  The　poor　creature　thus　discussed　rambled　a　while　in　the　grounds　without
  a　purpose。　　Tides　in　her　mind　ebbed　and　flowed；　and　carried　her
  to　and　fro　like　seaweed。　　She　tried　a　path；　paused；　returned；　and　tried
  another；　questing；　forgetting　her　quest；　the　spirit　of　choice　extinct　in
  her　bosom；　or　devoid　of　sequency。　　On　a　sudden；　it　appeared　as　though
  she　had　remembered；　or　had　formed　a　resolution；　wheeled　about；　returned
  with　hurried　steps；　and　appeared　in　the　din