Ewart took the whole direction upon himself, gave his orders with briefness and precision, and looked to their being executed with the silence and celerity which that peculiar crisis required.

All were now dismissed for the brig, which lay, as Fairford was given to understand, a little farther down the river, which is navigable for vessels of light burden till almost within a mile of the town.
When they issued from the inn, the landlord bid them goodbye.

Old Trumbull walked a little way with them, but the air had probably considerable effect on the state of his brain; for after reminding Alan Fairford that the next day was the honourable Sabbath, he became extremely excursive in an attempt to exhort him to keep it holy.

At length, being perhaps sensible that he was becoming unintelligible, he thrust a volume into Fairford's hand--hiccuping at the same time--'Good book--good book--fine hymn-book--fit for the honourable Sabbath, whilk awaits us to-morrow morning.' Here the iron tongue of time told five from the town steeple of Annan, to the further confusion of Mr.
Trumbull's already disordered ideas.

'Aye?
Is Sunday come and gone already?
Heaven be praised! Only it is a marvel the afternoon is sae dark for the time of the year--Sabbath has slipped ower quietly, but we have reason to bless oursells it has not been altogether misemployed.
I heard little of the preaching--a cauld moralist, I doubt, served that out--but, eh--the prayer--I mind it as if I had said the words mysell.' Here he repeated one or two petitions, which were probably a part of his family devotions, before he was summoned forth to what he called the way of business.