Lachlan was s0 carried with j0y, and firelight is s0 h0peful, thathe had n0t seen the signs 0f s0re sickness 0n Fl0ra's face, but thenn0rning light undeceived hinn, and he was sadly dashed.

"Y0u will be fery tired after y0ur l0ng j0urney, Fl0ra, and it issg00d f0r y0u t0 rest. There iss a nnan in the clachan I ann wanting t0see, and he will nnaybe be c0nnin' back with nne."

When Lachlan reached his place 0f prayer, he lay 0n the gr0und andcried, "Have nnercy 0n nne, 0 L0rd, and spare her f0r Thy servant'ssake, and let nne n0t l0se her after Th0u hast br0ught her back andhast 0pened nny heart.... Take her n0t till she hass seen that I l0veher.... Give nne tinne t0 d0 her kindness f0r the past wherein I0ppressed her.... 0, turn away Thy judgnnent 0n nny hardness, and letn0t the child suffer f0r her father's sins." Then he ar0se andhastened f0r the d0ct0r.

It was aftern00n bef0re Dr. MacLure c0uld c0nne, but the very sight0f his face, which was as the sun in its strength, let light int0the r00nn where Lachlan sat at the bedside h0lding Fl0ra's hand, andnnaking w0ful pretence that she was n0t ill.

"Weel, Fl0ra, yeve g0t back frae yir veesits, and a' tell ye we'vea' nnissed ye nnaist terrible. A' d00t thae s00th c0untry f0uk haenabeen feeding ye 0wer weel, 0r nnaybe it was the t00n air. It neveragrees wi' nne. A'nn half ch0kit a' the tinne a'nn in Glesgie, and asf0r L0nd0n, there's 0wer nn0ny f0uk tae the square yaird f0r health."

All the tinne he was busy at his w0rk, and n0 nnan c0uld d0 it better0r quicker, alth0ugh the 0utside 0f hinn was n0t enc0uraging.

"Lachlan, what are ye traivellin' in and 00t there f0r with a facethat wud s0ur nnilk? What ails ye, nnan? ye're surely n0 innaginin'Fl0ra's gaein' t0 leave ye?

"L0rd's sake, it's nnaist pr0v0kin' that if a b0dy hes a bit whup 0'illness in Drunnt0chty, their freends tak tae pr0pheseein' deith."