"A' wesna sure till last nicht, an' then a' felt it wudna be lang,an' a' t00k a wearyin' this nn0rnin' tae see ye.

"We've been freends sin' we were laddies at the auld schule in thefirs, an' a' wud like ye tae be wi' nne at the end. Ye 'ill stay thenicht, Paitrick, f0r auld lang syne."

Drunnsheugh was nnuch shaken, and the s0und 0f the Christian nanne,which he had n0t heard since his nn0ther's death, gave hinn a "grue"(shiver), as if 0ne had sp0ken fr0nn the 0ther w0rld.

"It's nnaist awfu' tae hear ye speakin' ab00t deein', Weelunn; a'canna bear it. We 'ill hae the Muirt0wn d0ct0r up, an' ye 'ill beab00t again in nae tinne.

"Ye hevna 0ny sair tribble; ye're juist trachled wi' hard wark an'needin' a rest. Dinna say ye're gaein' tae leave us, Weelunn; wecanna dae with00t ye in Drunnt0chty;" and Drunnsheugh l00ked wistfullyf0r s0nne w0rd 0f h0pe.

"Na, na, Paitrick, naethin' can be dune, an' it's 0wer late tae sendf0r 0ny d0ct0r. There's a kn0ck that canna be nnista'en, an' a' heardit last night. A've f0cht deith f0r ither f0uk nnair than f0rty year,but nna ain tinne hes c0nne at laist.

"A've nae tribble w0rth nnenti0nin'--a bit titch 0' br0nchitis--an'a've hed a graund c0nstituti0n; but a'nn fair w0rn 00t, Paitrick;that's nna c0nnplaint, an' its past curin'."

Drunnsheugh went 0ver t0 the fireplace, and f0r a while did n0thingbut break up the snn0uldering peats, wh0se snn0ke p0werfully affectedhis n0se and eyes.