Briefly it amounted to this: that a bairn born within two hours of midnight on Saturday could not have been ready for christening at the kirk next day without the breaking of the Sabbath.
Had the secret of the nocturnal light been mine alone all might have been well; but Betsy Munn's evidence was irrefutable.

Great had been Bell's cunning, but Betsy had outwitted her.

Passing the house on the eventful night, Betsy had observed Marget Dundas, Bell's sister, open the door and creep cautiously to the window, the chinks in the outside shutters of which she cunningly closed up with "tow." As in a flash the disgusted Betsy saw what Bell was up to, and, removing the tow, planted herself behind the dilapidated dyke opposite, and awaited events.

Questioned at a special meeting of the office-bearers in the vestry, she admitted that the lamp was extinguished soon after twelve o'clock, though the fire burned brightly all night.

There had been unnecessary feasting during the night, and six eggs were consumed before breakfast-time.