"'The shadow's lifted,' she said; 'he's come back frae the mooth o' the
tomb.

"'A' prayed last nicht that the Lord wud leave Saunders till the laddies
cud dae for themselves, an' thae words came intae ma mind, 'Weepin' may
endure for a nicht, but joy cometh in the mornin'."

"'The Lord heard ma prayer, and joy hes come in the mornin',' an' she
gripped the doctor's hand.

[Illustration]

"'Ye've been the instrument, Doctor MacLure. Ye wudna gie him up, and ye
did what nae ither cud for him, an' a've ma man the day, and the bairns
hae their father.'

"An' afore MacLure kent what she was daein', Bell lifted his hand to her
lips an' kissed it."

"Did she, though?" cried Jamie. "Wha wud hae thocht there wes as muckle
spunk in Bell?"

"MacLure, of coorse, was clean scandalized," continued Drumsheugh, "an'
pooed awa his hand as if it hed been burned.

"Nae man can thole that kind o' fraikin', and a' never heard o' sic
a thing in the parish, but we maun excuse Bell, neeburs; it wes an
occasion by ordinar," and Drumsheugh made Bell's apology to Drumtochty
for such an excess of feeling.