Allan Welsh read all this gravely and calmly, as if the art of expressing ecclesiastical meaning lay in clothing it in as many overcoats as a city watchman wears in winter.

The moderator sat still, with a grim earnestness in his face.  He was the very embodiment of the kirk of the Marrow, and though there were but two ministers with no elders there that day to share the responsibility, what did that matter?

He, Gilbert Peden, successor of all the (faithful) Reformers, was there to do inflexible and impartial justice.

John Bairdieson came in and sat down.  The moderator observed his presence, and in his official capacity took notice of it.

“This sederunt of the synod is private,” he said.  “Officer, remove the strangers.”

In his official capacity the officer of the court promptly removed John Bairdieson, who went most unwillingly.

The matter of the examination of probationers comes up immediately after the reading of the minutes in well-regulated church courts, being most important and vital.

“The clerk will now call for the report upon the life and conduct of the student under trials,” said the moderator.

The clerk called upon the Reverend Allan Welsh to present his report.  Then he sat down gravely, but immediately rose again to give his report.  All the while the moderator sat impassive as a statue.

The minister of Dullarg began in a low and constrained voice.  He had observed, he said, with great pleasure the diligence and ability of Master Ralph Peden, and considered the same in terms of the remit to him from the synod.  He was much pleased with the clearness of the candidate upon the great questions of theology and church government.  He had examined him daily in his work, and had confidence in bearing testimony to the able and spiritual tone of all his exercises, both oral and written.

Soon after he began, a surprised look stole over the face of the moderator.  As Allan Welsh went on from sentence to sentence, the thin nostrils of the representative of the Reformers dilated.  A strange and intense scorn took possession of him.  He sat back and looked fixedly at the slight figure of the minister of Dullarg bending under the weight of his message and the frailty of his body.  His time was coming.

Allan Welsh sat down, and laid his written report on the table of the synod.

“And is that all that you have to say?” queried the moderator, rising.

“That is all,” said Allan Welsh.

“Then,” said the moderator, “I charge it against you that you have either said too much or too little:  too much for me to listen to as the father of this young man, if it be true that you extruded him, being my son and a student of the Marrow kirk committed to your care, at midnight from your house, for no stated cause; and too little, far too little to satisfy me as moderator of this synod, when a report not only upon diligence and scholarship, but also upon a walk and conversation becoming the gospel, is demanded.”