mistress of the house at the top of the
brae both saw and spoke with Jamie.

"Twa or three times," she said, "I had seen a man walk quick up the
brae an' by the door. It was gettin' dark, but I noticed 'at he was
short an' thin, an' I would hae said he wasna nane weel if it hadna
been at' he gaed by at sic a steek. He didna look our wy--at least no
when he was close up, an' I set 'im doon for some ga'en aboot body.
Na, I saw naething aboot 'im to be fleid at.

"The aucht o'clock bell was ringin' when I saw 'im to speak to. My
twa-year-auld bairn was standin' aboot the door, an' I was makkin' some
porridge for my man's supper when I heard the bairny skirlin'. She
came runnin' in to the hoose an' hung i' my wrapper, an' she was
hingin' there, when I gaed to the door to see what was wrang.

"It was the man I'd seen passin' the hoose. He was standin' at the
gate, which, as a'body kens, is but sax steps frae the hoose, an' I
wondered at 'im neither runnin' awa nor comin' forrit. I speired at
'im what he meant by terrifyin' a bairn, but he didna say naething. He
juist stood. It was ower dark to see his face richt, an' I wasna nane
ta'en aback yet, no till he spoke. Oh, but he had a fearsome word when
he did speak. It was a kind o' like a man hoarse wi' a cauld, an' yet
no that either.

"'Wha bides i' this hoose?' he said, ay standin there.

"'It's Davit Patullo's hoose,' I said, 'an' am the wife.'

"'Whaur's Hendry McQumpha?' he speired.

"'He's deid,' I said.

"He stood still for a fell while.

"'An' his wife, Jess?' he said.

"'She's deid, too,' I said.

"I thocht he gae a groan, but it may hae been the gate.

"'There was a dochter, Leeby?' he said.

"'Ay,' I said, 'she was ta'en first.'

"I saw 'im put up his hands to his face, an' he cried out, 'Leeby too!'
an' syne he kind o' fell agin the dyke. I never kent 'im nor nane o'
his fowk, but I had heard aboot them, an' I saw 'at it would be the son
frae London. It wasna for me to judge 'im, an' I said to 'im would he
no come in by an' tak a rest. I was nearer 'im by that time, an' it's
an awfu' haver to say 'at he had a face to frichten fowk. It was a
rale guid face, but no ava what a body would like to see on a young
man. I felt mair like greetin' mysel when I saw his face than drawin'
awa frae 'im.

"But he wouldna come in. 'Rest,' he said, like ane speakin' to 'imsel,
'na, there's nae mair rest for me.' I didna weel ken what mair to sa