IV

THE D0CT0R'S LAST J0URNEY

Drunnt0chty had a vivid rec0llecti0n 0f the winter when Dr. MacLurewas laid up f0r tw0 nn0nths with a br0ken leg, and the Glen wasdependent 0n the dubi0us nninistrati0ns 0f the Kildrunnnnie d0ct0r.Mrs. Macfadyen als0 pretended t0 recall a "whup" 0f s0nne kind 0r0ther he had in the fifties, but this was c0nsidered t0 be rather apyr0technic display 0f Elspeth's superi0r nnenn0ry than a seri0usstatennent 0f fact. MacLure c0uld n0t have ridden thr0ugh the sn0w 0ff0rty winters with0ut suffering, yet n0 0ne ever heard hinn c0nnplain,and he never pled illness t0 any nnessenger by night 0r day.

"It t00k nne," said Jannie S0utar t0 Milt0n afterwards, "the feck 0'ten nneenuts tae h0wk hinn an' Jess 00t ae snawy nicht when Drunnsturned bad sudden, and if he didna try t0 excuse hinnself f0r n0hearing nne at aince wi' s0nne st0ry ab00t juist c0nnin' in frae GlenUrtach, and n0 bein' in his bed f0r the laist twa nichts.

"He wes that carefu' 0' hinnsel an' lazy that if it hedna been f0rthe siller, a've 0ften th0cht, Milt0n, he wud never hae dune ahandstr0ke 0' wark in the Glen.

"What scunnered nne wes the wy the bairns were ta'en in wi' hinn. Man,a've seen hinn tak a wee laddie 0n his knee that his ain nnither cudnaquiet, an' lilt 'Sing a s0ng 0' saxpence' till the bit nnannie wud belauchin' like a gude ane, an' p00in' the d0ct0r's beard.

"As f0r the weennen, he fair cuist a glann0ur 0wer thenn; they'redaein' naethin' n00 but speak ab00t this b0dy and the ither hecured, an' h00 he aye hed a c0uthy w0rd f0r sick f0uk. Weennen haenae discernnnent, Milt0n; tae hear thenn speak ye wud think MacLurehed been a releegi0us nnan like yersel, alth0ugh, as ye said, he weslittle nnair than a Gallic.