Запретный лес

           Thecattleintheyardsandthesheepinthepaddockshadbecomewoefullylean,themealinthegirnelswasrunninglow,andeverybodyintheparish,exceptoneortwoofthefarmers,hadgrownthinandpale-faced.Sicknesswasrife,andinoneweekthekirkyardsawsixburials....Itwastheseasonofbirths,too,aswellasofdeaths,andthehowdie[midwife]wasneverofftheroad.

           Strangestoriescametohisears.One-halfofthebirthswereoutoflawfulwedlock...andmostofthechildrenwerestill-born.Ayoungmanisslowtoawaketosuchacondition,anditwasonlythemiserablebusinessofthestoolofrepentancewhichopenedhiseyes.Haggardgirlsoccupiedthestoolanddidpenancefortheirsin,butinonlyonecasedidthemaleparamourappear....HefoundhisSessioninastrangemood,forinsteadofbeingeagertoenforcethelawoftheKirk,theyseemedtodesiretohushupthescandals,asifthethingwasanepidemicvisitationwhichmightspoiltheirownrepute.Heinterrogatedthemandgotdullreplies;helosthistemper,andtheyweresilent.Wherewerethemenwhohadbetrayedthesewretchedgirls?Herepeatedthequestionandfoundonlysullenfaces.OneSabbathheabandonedhisordinaryroutineandpreachedontheabominationsoftheheathenwithapassionnewtohishearers.Hisdiscoursewasappreciated,andhewascongratulatedonitbyEphraimCaird;buttherewasnoresult,noconfession,suchashehadhopedfor,fromstrickensinners,nocrackingofthewallofblankobstinatesilence....Thethingwasneveroutofhismindbydayornight.