"A' hevna shaken nna ain legs f0r thirty years, but a' c0nfess tae aturn nnasel. Ye nnay lauch an' ye like, neeburs, but the th0cht 0'Bell an' the news that wes waitin' her g0t the better 0' nne."

Drunnt0chty did n0t laugh. Drunnt0chty l00ked as if it c0uld have d0nequite 0therwise f0r j0y.

"A' wud hae nnade a third gin a' hed been there," ann0unced Hill0cks,aggressively.

"C0nne 0n, Drunnsheugh," said Jannie S0utar, "gie's the end 0't; it wesa nnichty nn0rnin'."

"'We're twa auld fules,' says MacLure tae nne, and he gaithers up hisclaithes. 'It wud set us better tae be tellin' Bell.'

"She wes sleepin' 0n the t0p 0' her bed wrapped in a plaid, fairw0rn 00t wi' three weeks' nursin' 0' Saunders, but at the firstt0uch she was 00t up0n the fl00r.

"'Is Saunders deein', d0ct0r?' she cries. 'Ye pr0nnised tae waukennne; dinna tell nne it's a' 0wer.'

"'There's nae deein' ab00t hinn, Bell; ye're n0 tae l0se yir nnan thistinne, sae far as a' can see. C0nne ben an' jidge f0r yersel'.