So she lay quietly, gathering all her force to consider and
meet what she must, as her way was, while Jean sat beside, stroking
her hand and saying sweet, comforting words in her broad Scotch.

"There's neathin' so guid as a drap of whuskey, dear, for strengthnin'
the hairt whan ye hae a bit shock. It's no yer mon, Peter? No? Weel,
thank the Lord for that. Noo, tak ye anither bit sup, for ye ha'e na
tasted it. Wull ye no gie Ellen the letter, love? 'Twill save ye
tellin' her."

Hester passively took the whisky as she was bid, and presently sat up
and finished reading the letter. "Peter has been hiding--something
from me for--three years--and now--"

"Yes, an' noo. It's aye the way wi' them that hides--whan the day
comes they maun reveal--it's only the mair to their shame," exclaimed
Ellen.

"Oh, but it's all mixed up--and my best friend doesn't know the
truth. Yes, take the letter, Aunt Ellen, and read it yourself." She
held out the pages with a shaking hand, and Jean took them over to her
sister, who slowly read them in silence.

"Ah, noo. As I tell't ye, it's no so bad," she said at last.

"Wha's the trouble, Ellen? Don't keep us waitin'."

"Bide ye in patience, child. Ye're always so easily excitet. I maun
read the letter again to get the gist o't, but it's like this. The
Elder's been of the opeenion noo these three years that his son was
most foully murder't, an--"

"He may ha'e been kill't, but he was no' murder't," cried Jean,
excitedly. "I tell ye 'twas purely by accident--" she paused and
suddenly clapped both hands over her mouth and rocked herself back and
forth as if she had made some egregious blunder, then: "Gang on wi'
yer tellin'. It's dour to bide waitin'. Gie me the letter an' lat me
read it for mysel'."

"Lat me tell't as I maun tell't. Ye maun no keep interruptin'. Jean
has no order in her brain. She aye pits the last first an' the first
last. This is a hopefu' letter an' a guid ain from yer friend, an' it
tells ye yer son's leevin' an' no murder't--"

"Thank the Lord! I ha'e aye said it," ejaculated Jean, fervently.

"Ye ha'e aye said it? Child, what mean ye? Ye ha'e kenned naethin'
aboot it."

But Jean would not be set down. She leaned forward with glistening
eyes. "I ha'e aye said it. I ha'e aye said it. Gie me the letter,
Ellen."

But Ellen only turned composedly and resumed her interpretation of
the letter to Hester, who sat looking with dazed expression from one
aunt to the oth