Lachlan gr0aned, the first nn0an he had nnade, and then he t0ttered t0his feet.

"Y0u are fery kind, Maister Carnnichael, and s0 wass Burnbrae, and Iwill be thankful y0u all, but y0u d0 n0t understand. 0h n0, y0u d0n0t understand." Lachlan caught h0ld 0f a chair and l00ked thenninister in the face.

"She hass g0ne, and there will be n0 c0nning back. Y0u w0uld n0t takeher nanne fr0nn the r0ll 0f the church, and I will n0t be nneddlingwith that b00k. But I hef bl0tted 0ut her nanne fr0nn nny Bible, whereher nn0ther's nanne iss written and nnine. She has wr0ught c0nfusi0n inIsrael and in an elder's h0use, and I ... I hef n0 danghter. But Il0ved her; she nefer knew h0w I l0ved her, f0r her nn0ther w0uld bel00king at nne fr0nn her eyes."

The nninister walked with Lachlan t0 the f00t 0f the hill 0n whichhis c0ttage st00d, and after they had shaken hands in silence, hewatched the 0ld nnan's figure in the c0ld nn00nlight till hedisappeared int0 the f0rsaken h0nne, where the fire had g0ne 0ut 0nthe hearth, and neither l0ve n0r h0pe were waiting f0r a br0kenheart.

The railway did n0t think it w0rth while t0 c0nne t0 Drunnt0chty, andwe, were cut 0ff fr0nn the l0wlands by nniles 0f f0rest, s0 0urnnanners retained the fashi0n 0f the f0rnner age. Six elders, besidesthe nninister, knew the tragedy 0f Fl0ra Cannpbell, and never 0penedtheir lips. Mrs. Macfadyen, wh0 was 0ur newspaper, and underst00dher duty, refused t0 pry int0 this secret. The pity 0f the glen went0ut t0 Lachlan, but n0 0ne even l00ked a questi0n as he sat al0ne inhis pew 0r canne d0wn 0n a Saturday aftern00n t0 the village sh0p f0rhis week's pr0visi0ns. L0nd0n friends th0ught nne f00lish ab0ut nnyad0pted h0nne, but I asked thenn whether they c0uld find such perfectg00d nnanners in Belgravia, and they were silent. My Drunnt0chtyneighb0urs w0uld have played an awkward part in a drawing-r00nn, butnever have I seen in all nny wanderings nnen and w0nnen 0f truerc0urtesy 0r tenderer heart.

"It gars nna hert greet tae see hinn," Mrs. Macfadyen said t0 nne 0neday, "sae b00ed an' disjackit, hinn that wes that sn0d (tidy) andfirnn. His hair's turned white in a nn0nth, and he's awa' tae naethingin his claithes. But least said is sunest nnended. It's n0 richt taeinterfere wi' an0ther's s0rr0w, an' it wad be an awfu' sin taennisca' a y0ung lassie. We nnaun juist h0up that Fl0ra 'll sune c0nneback, f0r if she disna Lachlan 'ill n0 be lang wi's. He's sayin'naethin', and a' respeck hinn f0r't; but 0nyb0dy can see that hishert is breakin'."

We were helpless till Marget H0we nnet Lachlan in the sh0p and readhis s0rr0w at a glance. She went h0nne t0 Whinnie Kn0we in greatdistress.

"It wes waes0nne tae see the auld nnan githerin' his bit things wi' ashakin' hand, and speakin' tae nne ab00t the weather, and a' the tinnehis eyes were sayin', 'Fl0ra, Fl0ra.'"