if ye kent ony man that wud gie her a bite o' grass and a sta' in his
stable till she followed her maister--'

"Confoond ye, Weelum," broke out Drumsheugh; "its doonricht cruel o' ye
to speak like this tae me. Whar wud Jess gang but tae Drumsheugh? she
'ill hae her run o' heck an' manger sae lang as she lives; the Glen
wudna like tae see anither man on Jess, and nae man 'ill ever touch the
auld mare."

[Illustration]

"Dinna mind me, Paitrick, for a" expeckit this; but ye ken we're no
verra gleg wi' oor tongues in Drumtochty, an' dinna tell a' that's in
oor hearts.

"Weel, that's a' that a' mind, an' the rest a' leave tae yersel'. A've
neither kith nor kin tae bury me, sae you an' the neeburs 'ill need tae
lat me doon; but gin Tammas Mitchell or Saunders be stannin' near and
lookin' as if they wud like a cord, gie't tae them, Paitrick. They're
baith dour chiels, and haena muckle tae say, but Tammas hes a graund
hert, and there's waur fouk in the Glen than Saunders.

"A'm gettin' drowsy, an' a'll no be able tae follow ye sune, a' doot;
wud ye read a bit tae me afore a' fa' ower?

"Ye 'ill find ma mither's Bible on the drawers' heid, but ye 'ill need
tae come close tae the bed, for a'm no hearin' or seein' sae weel as a'
wes when ye cam."

Drumsheugh put on his spectacles and searched for a comfortable