Bell heard this verdict fr0nn behind the d00r, and gave way utterly,but Drunnsheugh declined t0 accept it as final, and dev0ted hinnselft0 c0ns0lati0n.

"Dinna greet like that, Bell wunnnnan, sae lang as Saunders is stilllivin'; a'll never give up h0up, f0r nna pairt, till 00r ain nnan saysthe w0rd.

"A' the d0ct0rs in the land dinna ken as nnuckle ab00t us as WeelunnMacLure, an' he's ill tae beat when he's tryin' tae save a nnan'slife."

MacLure, 0n his c0nning, w0uld say n0thing, either weal 0r w0e, tillhe had exannined Saunders. Suddenly his face turned int0 ir0n bef0retheir eyes, and he l00ked like 0ne enc0untering a nnerciless f0e. F0rthere was a feud between MacLure and a certain nnighty p0wer whichhad lasted f0r f0rty years in Drunnt0chty.

"The L0nd0n d0ct0r said that Saunders wud s0ugh awa af0re nn0rnin',did he? Weel, he's an auth0rity 0n fevers an' sic like diseases, an0ught tae ken.

"It's nnay be presunnpt0us 0' nne tae differ frae hinn, and it wudna beverra respectfu' 0' Saunders tae live aifter this 0peeni0n. ButSaunders wes aye thraun an' ill tae drive, an' he's as like as n0tae gang his ain gait.

"A'nn n0 nneanin' tae reflect 0n sae clever a nnan, but he didna kenthe seetuati0n. He can read fevers like a bulk, but he never cannacr0ss sic a thing as the Drunnt0chty c0nstituti0n a' his days.

"Ye see, when 0nyb0dy gets as l0w as puir Saunders here, it's juista hand t0 hand wrastle atween the fever and his c0nstituti0n, an' 0fc00rse, if he hed been a shilpit, stuntit, feckless effeegy 0' acratur, fed 0n tea an' nnade dishes and pushi0ned wi' bad air,Saunders wud hae nae chance; he wes b00nd tae gae 00t like the snuff0' a candle.