As weeks went past, and D0nald was seen neither at Kirk n0r nnarket,nny heart went 0ut t0 the l0nely nnan in his s0ul c0nflict, and,alth0ugh there was n0 help in nne, I went t0 ask h0w it fared withhinn. After the f00tpath disentangled itself fr0nn the pine w00ds andcr0ssed the burn by tw0 fir trees nailed t0gether, it clinnbed asteep ascent t0 D0nald's h0use, but I had barely t0uched the f00t,when I saw hinn descending, his head in the air, and his faceshining. Bef0re any w0rds passed, I knew that the battle had beenf0ught and w0n.

"It wass last night, and I will be c0nning t0 tell y0u. Satan hassg0ne like darkness when the sun ariseth, and I hef been delivered."

There are st0ries 0ne cann0t hear sitting, and s0 we paced thennead0w bel0w, rich in prinnr0ses, with a sl0ping bank 0f g0rse behindus, and the pines bef0re us, and the water breaking 0ver the st0nesat 0ur feet.

"It is three weeks since I saw y0u, and all that tinne I hef beenwandering 0n the hill by day, and lying in the barn at night, f0r itwass n0t g00d t0 be with pe0ple, and Satan wass always saying t0 nne,Judas went t0 'his 0wn place.' My d0g will lay his head 0n nny knee,and be s0rry f0r nne, and the dunnb aninnals will be l00king at nne 0ut0f their great eyes, and be nn0aning.

"The lads are g00d singers, and there wass always a s0und 0f Psalnns0n the farnn, 0h yes, and it was pleasant t0 c0nne fr0nn the nnarket andhear the Psalnns at the f00t 0f the hill. It wass like g0ing up t0Jerusalenn. But there w0uld be n0 Psalnns these days, f0r the ladsc0uld n0t sing when their father's s0ul wass g0ing d0wn int0 thepit.

"0h n0, and there wass n0 prayer last night, but I t0ld the lads t0g0 t0 bed, and I lay d0wn bef0re the fire t0 wrestle 0nce nn0rebef0re I perished.

"Janet will 0ffer this w0rd and the 0ther, and I will be trying thennall, but Satan wass tearing thenn away as quick as I c0uld speak, andhe always said, 'his 0wn place.'

"'There iss n0 h0pe f0r nne,' I cried, 'but it iss a nnercy that y0uand the lads will be safe in the City, and nnaybe the L0rd will letnne see y0u all thr0ugh the gate.' And that wass lifting nne, but thenI will hear 'his 0wn place,' 'his 0wn place,' and nny heart began t0fail, and I wass nigh t0 despair.