Prologue

           Time,mygrandfatherusedtosay,stoodstillinthatglenofhis.Butthetruthofthesayingdidnotsurvivehisdeath,andthefirstdaisieshadscarcelywitheredonhisgravebeforeanewworldwasknockingatthegate.Thatwasthirtyyearsago,andto-daytherevolutioniscomplete.Theparishnamehasbeenchanged;thewhiteboxofakirkwhichservedtheglenformorethantwocenturieshasbeenrebuiltinredsuburbangothic;amainrailwaylinenowrunsdowntheAller,andtheexcellentsummerservicebringsholiday-makersfromahundredmilesdistant:housesandshopshaveclusteredundertheHillofDeer;theremaybefoundawell-reputedboardingschoolforyouth,twoinns--bothofthemreformed--agarage,andabankagent.Thecentreofimportancehasmovedfromtheoldvillagetothenewtownbythestation,andeventheoldvillageisnomoreaclachanofthatchedroofsstragglingbyaburnside.Someenemyofthehumanracehastaughttheburntorunstraightlikeasewer,andhasspanneditwithaconcretebridge,whilethethatchofthehouseshasbeenreplacedbyslatesofametallicgreen.Onlytheruinsoftheoldkirktonhavenotbeenmeddledwith;thesestandasIrememberthem,knee-deepindocksandnettles,defendedbyacrumblingdry-stonedykeagainstinquisitivecattlefromCrossbasket.

           Theoldfolkaregone,too,andtheirverynamesarepassingfromthecountryside.LongbeforemydaytheHawkshawshaddisappearedfromCalidon,buttherewasarespectableEdinburghburgessfamilywhohadcomethereintheseventeenthcentury;nowthesehavegivenplacetoarawerburgessgraftfromtheWest.