hushing it, and wasting on it her
infinite fondness.

"Wae's me, doctor; I declare she's thinkin' it's that bairn."

"What bairn?"

"The only bairn we ever had; our wee Mysie, and she's in the Kingdom,
forty years and mair."

It was plainly true: the pain in the breast telling its urgent story to
a bewildered, ruined brain, was misread, and mistaken; it suggested to
her the uneasiness of a breast full of milk, and then the child; and so
again once more they were together, and she had her ain wee Mysie in her
bosom.

This was the close. She sank rapidly: the delirium left her; but, as she
whispered, she was "clean silly"; it was the lightening before the final
darkness. After having for some time lain still--her eyes shut, she
said, "James!"

He came close to her, and lifting up her calm, clear, beautiful eyes,
she gave him a long look, turned to me kindly but shortly, looked for
Rab but could not see him, then turned to her husband again, as if she
would never leave off looking, shut her eyes and composed herself. She
lay for some time breathing quick, and passed away so gently, that when
we thought she was gone, James, in his old-fashioned way, held the
mirror to her face. After a long pause, one small spot of dimness was
breathed out; it vanished away, and never returned, leaving the blank
clear darkness of the mirror without a stain. "What is your life? it is
even a vapor, which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth
away."

Rab all this time had been full awake and motionless; he came forward
beside us; Ailie's hand, which James had held, was hanging down; it was
soaked with his tears; Rab licked it all over carefully, looked at her,
and returned to his place under the table.

James and I sat, I don't know how long, but for some time--saying
nothing: he started up, abruptly, and with some noise went to the table,
and putting his right fore and middle fingers each into a shoe, pulled
them out, and put them on, breaking one of the leather latchets, and
muttering in anger, "I never did the like o' that afore."

I believe he never did; nor after either. "Rab!" he said roughly, and
pointing with his thumb to the bottom of the bed. Rab leaped up, and
settled himself; his head and eye to the dead face. "Maister John, ye'll
wait for me," said the carrier, and disappeared in the darkness,
thundering downstairs in his heavy shoes. I ran to a front window: there
he was, already round the house, and out at