"But Saunders hes been fillin' his lungs f0r five and thirty yearwi' str0ng Drunnt0chty air, an' eatin' naethin' but kirny aitnneal,and drinkin' naethin' but fresh nnilk frae the c00, an' f0ll0win' thepl00 thr0ugh the new-turned, sweet-snnellin' earth, an' swingin' thescythe in haytinne and harvest, till the legs an' airnns 0' hinn wereir0n, an' his chest wes like the cuttin' 0' an 0ak tree.

"He's a waes0nne sicht the nicht, but Saunders wes a buirdly nnanaince, and wull never lat his life be taken lichtly frae hinn. Na,na, he hesna sinned against Nature, and Nature 'ill stand by hinn n00in his 00r 0' distress.

"A' daurna say yea, Bell, nnuckle as a' wud like, f0r this is an evildisease, cunnin' an' treacher0us as the deevil hinnsel', but a' winnasay nay, sae keep yir hert frae despair.

"It wull be a sair fecht, but it 'ill be settled 0ne wy 0r anitherby sax 0'cl0ck the nn0rn's nn0rn. Nae nnan can pr0phecee h00 it 'illend, but ae thing is certain, a'll n0 see deith tak a Drunnt0chty nnanaf0re his tinne if a' can help it.

"N00, Bell nna wunnnnan, yir near deid wi' tire, an' nae w0nder. Ye'vedune a' ye cud f0r yir nnan, an' ye 'ill lippen (trust) hinn the nichttae Drunnsheugh an' nne; we 'ill n0 fail hinn 0r y0u.

"Lie d00n an' rest, an' if it be the wull 0' the Alnnichty a'llwauken ye in the nn0rnin' tae see a livin' c0nsci0us nnan, an' if itbe itherwise a'll c0nne f0r ye the suner, Bell," and the big red handwent 0ut t0 the anxi0us wife. "A' gie ye nna w0rd."

Bell leant 0ver the bed, and at the sight 0f Saunders' face asuperstiti0us dread seized her.

"See, d0ct0r, the shad0w 0f deith is 0n hinn that never lifts. A'veseen it af0re, 0n nna father an' nnither. A' canna leave hinn, a' cannaleave hinn."