Thence they arrived, by more steps, at
the mews where in old times the hawks were kept, now rather ruinous
though not quite neglected. Here the one wall-door opened on the
avenue which led to the other. It was one of the pleasantest walks
in immediate proximity to the castle.
The first of the steely stars were shining through the naked rafters
of leafless boughs overhead, as Donal and the cobbler stepped,
gently talking, into the aisle of trees. The old man looked up,
gazed for a moment in silence, and said:--
"'The heavens declare the glory o' God, an' the firmament showeth
his handy-work.' I used, whan I was a lad, to study astronomy a wee,
i' the houp o' better hearin' what the h'avens declared aboot the
glory o' God: I wud fain un'erstan' the speech ae day cried across
the nicht to the ither. But I was sair disapp'intit. The things the
astronomer tellt semple fowk war verra won'erfu', but I couldna fin'
i' my hert 'at they made me think ony mair o' God nor I did afore. I
dinna mean to say they michtna be competent to work that in anither,
but it wasna my experrience o' them. My hert was some sair at this,
for ye see I was set upo' winnin' intil the presence o' him I
couldna bide frae, an' at that time I hadna learnt to gang straucht
to him wha's the express image o' 's person, but, aye soucht him
throuw the philosophy--eh, but it was bairnly philosophy!--o' the
guid buiks 'at dwall upo' the natur' o' God an' a' that, an' his
hatred o' sin an' a' that--pairt an' pairt true, nae doobt! but I
wantit God great an' near, an' they made him oot sma', sma', an'
unco' far awa'.
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