“Begging pairdon, captain Willoughby, for the familiarity, but ye’re just wrang, fra’ beginning to end, in the supposition.  No man with a hairt in his body wad desairt ye in a time like this, and no mair ’s to be said in the matter.  Nor do I think that luuk has had anything to do with Michael’s deficiency, unless ye ca’ it luuk to be born and edicated in a misguiding religion.  Michael’s catholicity is at the bottom of his backsliding, ye’ll find, if ye look closely into the maiter.”

“I do not see how that is to be made out, Allen; all sects of the Christian religion, I believe, teaching us to abide by our engagements, and to perform our duties.”

“Na doubt—­na doubt, ’squire Willoughby—­there’s a seeming desire to teach as much in a’ churches; but ye’ll no deny that the creatur’ o’ Rome wears a mask, and that catholicity is, at the best, but a wicked feature to enter into the worship of God.”

“Catholicism, Jamie, means adherence to the catholic church—­”

“Just that—­just that”—­interrupted the Scot, eagerly—­and it’s that o’ which I complain.  All protestants—­wather fully disposed, or ainly half-disposed, as may be the case with the English kirk—­all protestants agree in condemning the varry word catholic, which is a sign and a symbol of the foul woman o’ Babylon.”

“Then, Jamie, they agree in condemning what they don’t understand.  I should be sorry to think I am not a member of the catholic church myself.”

Yersal’!—­No, captain Willoughby, ye’re no catholic, though you are a bit akin to it, perhaps.  I know that Mr. Woods, that’s now in the hands o’ the savages, prays for the catholics, and professes to believe in what he ca’s the ‘Holy Catholic Kirk;’ but, then, I’ve always supposed that was in the way o’ Christian charity like; for one is obleeged to use decent language, ye’ll be acknowledging, sir, in the pulpit, if it’s only for appearance’s sake.”

“Well—­well—­Jamie; a more fitting occasion may occur for discussing matters of this nature, and we will postpone the subject to another time.  I may have need of your services an hour or two hence, and it will be well for every man to come to the work fresh and clear-headed.  Go to your pallet then, and expect an early call.”

The mason was not a man to oppose such an order coming from the ‘laird;’ and he withdrew, leaving the captain standing in the centre of the court quite alone.  We say alone, for young Blodget had ascended to the gallery or staging that led around the inner sides of the roofs, while the negro on guard was stationed at the gateway, as the only point where the Hut could be possibly carried by a coup-de-main. As the first of these positions commanded the best exterior view from the inside of the buildings, the captain mounted the stairs he had so recently descended, and joined the young Rhode Islander at his post.