ong Roslin Muir, the morning
light touching the Pentlands and making them on-looking ghosts; then
down the hill through Auchindinny woods, past "haunted Woodhouselee";
and as daybreak came sweeping up the bleak Lammermuirs, and fell on his
own door, the company would stop, and James would take the key, and
lift Ailie up again, laying her on her own bed, and, having put Jess up,
would return with Rab and shut the door.

[Illustration: JAMES BURIED HIS WIFE]

James buried his wife, with his neighbors mourning, Rab inspecting the
solemnity from a distance. It was snow, and that black ragged hole would
look strange in the midst of the swelling spotless cushion of white.
James looked after everything; then rather suddenly fell ill, and took
to bed; was insensible when the doctor came, and soon died. A sort of
low fever was prevailing in the village, and his want of sleep, his
exhaustion, and his misery, made him apt to take it. The grave was not
difficult to reopen. A fresh fall of snow had again made all things
white and smooth; Rab once more looked on, and slunk home to the
stable.

And what of Rab? I asked for him next week of the new carrier who got
the goodwill of James's business, and was now master of Jess and her
cart.

"How's Rab?"

He put me off, and said rather rudely, "What's _your_ business wi' the
dowg?"

I was not to be so put off.

"Where's Rab?"

He, getting confused and red, and intermeddling with his hair, said,
"'Deed sir, Rab's died."

"Dead! what did he die of?"

"Well, sir," said he, getting redder, "he didna exactly dee; he was
killed. I had to brain him wi' a rack-pin; there was nae doing wi' him.
He lay in the treviss wi' the mear, and wadna come oot. I tempit him wi'
the kail and meat, but he wad tak naething, and keepit me frae feedin'
the beast, and he was aye gur gurrin', and grup gruppin' me by the legs.
I was laith to make awa wi' the old dowg, his like wasne atween this and
Thornhill--but, 'deed, sir, I could do naething else."

I believed him. Fit end for Rab, quick and complete. His teeth and his
friends gone, why should he keep the peace and be civil?

FOOTNOTES:

[101-1] _Amende_ means _apology_.

[109-2] _Glower_, a Scotch word meaning a savage stare.

[111-3] _Semper paratus_ means _always ready_.

[112-4] _Fremyt_ means _trembling, querulous_.

[113-5] _Animula blandula, vagula, hospes, comesque_, means _sweet
fleeting life, companion and sojourner_.

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