d Death would have to take her at
unawares, if he succeeded yet awhile. This was the truth. The desire
to live was still strong in Margot's heart, she really wished
earnestly to live out all her days.

Now, public sympathy soon wears out. The village which had gone _en
masse_ to weep at James Ruleson's funeral, had in two weeks chosen
Peter Brodie to fill his place. The women who were now busy with their
spring cleaning, and their preparations for the coming herring season,
could not afford to weep any longer with "thae set-up Rulesons." Neil
had ignored all of them at the funeral, Margot's sorrow they judged to
be "a vera dry manifestation," and Christine would not talk about her
father's last hours. The women generally disapproved of a grief that
was so dry-eyed and silent.

So gradually the little house on the hill became very solitary. Jamie
ran up from the school at the noon hour, and sometimes he stayed an
hour or two with them after the school was closed. Then the Domine
came for him, and they all had tea together. But as the evening
twilight lengthened, the games in the playground lengthened, and the
Domine encouraged the lad in all physical exercises likely to increase
his stature and his strength.

Then the herring season came, and the Rulesons had nothing to do with
it, and so they gradually lost their long preeminence. Everyone was
busy from early to late with his own affairs. And the Rulesons? "Had
they not their gentleman son, Neil? And their four lads wearing the
Henderson uniform? And the Domine? And the lad Cluny Macpherson? Did
he care for any human creature but Christine Ruleson?"

With these sentiments influencing the village society, it was no
wonder that Margot complained that her friends had deserted her. She
had been the leader of the village women in their protective and
social societies, and there was no doubt she had been authoritative,
and even at times tyrannical. But Margot did not believe she had ever
gone too far. She was sure that her leniency and consideration were
her great failing.

So the winter came again, and Christine looked exceedingly weary.
While Ruleson lived, Margot had relied on him, she was sure that he
would be sufficient, but after his death, she encouraged an
unreasonable trial of various highly reputed physicians. They came to
her from Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and she believed that every fresh
physician was the right one. The expense of this method was far beyond