s no left tae dee when a'm oot o' the road."

"Nae fear o' that as lang as a'm livin', Weelum; that hundred's still
tae the fore, ye ken, an' a'll tak care it's weel spent.

"Yon wes the best job we ever did thegither, an' dookin' Saunders, ye
'ill no forget that nicht, Weelum"--a gleam came into the doctor's
eyes--"tae say neathin' o' the Highlan' fling."

The remembrance of that great victory came upon Drumsheugh, and tried
his fortitude.

"What 'ill become o's when ye're no here tae gie a hand in time o' need?
we 'ill tak ill wi' a stranger that disna ken ane o's frae anither."

"It's a' for the best, Paitrick, an' ye 'ill see that in a whilie. A've
kent fine that ma day wes ower, an' that ye sud hae a younger man.

"A' did what a' cud tae keep up wi' the new medicine, but a' hed little
time for readin', an' nane for traivellin'.

"A'm the last o' the auld schule, an' a' ken as weel as onybody thet a'
wesna sae dainty an' fine-mannered as the town doctors. Ye took me as a'
wes, an' naebody ever cuist up tae me that a' wes a plain man. Na, na;
ye've been rael kind an' conseederate a' thae years."

"Weelum, gin ye cairry on sic nonsense ony langer," interrupted
Drumsheugh, huskily, "a'll leave the hoose; a' canna stand it."

"It's the truth, Paitrick, but we 'ill gae on wi' our wark, far a'm
failin' fast.

"Gie Janet ony sticks of furniture she needs tae furnish a hoose,
and sell a' thing else tae pay the wricht (undertaker) an' bedrel
(grave-digger). If the new doctor be a young laddie and no verra rich,
ye micht let him hae the buiks an' instruments; it 'ill aye be a help.

"But a' wudna like ye tae sell Jess, for she's been a faithfu' servant,
an' a freend tae. There's a note or twa in that drawer a' savit, an'
if ye kent ony man that wud gie her a bite o' grass and a sta' in his
stable till she followed her maister--'

"Confoond ye, Weelum," broke out Drumsheugh; "its doonricht cruel o' ye
to speak like this tae me. Whar wud Jess gang but tae Drumsheugh? she
'ill hae her run o' heck an' manger sae lang as she lives; the Glen
wudna like tae see anither man on Jess, and nae man 'ill ever touch the
auld mare."

[Illustration]

"Dinna mind me, Paitrick, for a" expeckit this; but ye ken we're no
verra gleg wi' oor tongues in Drumtochty, an' dinna tell a' that's in
oor hearts.

"Weel, that's a' that a' mind, an' the rest a' leave tae yersel'. A've
neither kith nor kin tae bury me, sae you an' the neebur