ng. She remembered how once he checked Rab's rein under
the shade of a hawthorn-tree, and asked her to be his wife. She
remembered, too, how Rab had borne her to the Kirk, to be married to
Angus Grey; and she thought of three other Sundays when he had carried
her and her baby to the christening; and of yet one other time, when he
had drawn slowly away from her door a hearse, whereon lay the beloved
husband and father. She thought, too, with tender anxiety, that now
the last help of the widow, her humble fellow-laborer, was taken from
her; and the grim wolf of want and hunger seemed to stand in poor dead
Rab's place. Even the baby seemed to feel something of her anxiety and
distress, and put up its pretty lip to cry; so to comfort it and to
calm herself by her usual household labor, she returned to the cottage,
leaving Effie and Jamie still sitting beside old Rab. Their grief had
somewhat moderated; yet they sobbed as they talked of the virtues of
the deceased, and wondered what life would be without him.

"Ah, Jamie," said Effie, "inna you wish the Lord was here now? You ken
mither told us how He cured sick folk, and how He once made a mon alive
again that had been dead four days. He could make our Rab alive wi' a
touch of His finger, gin (if) He would try, Jamie."

Wee Jamie was a simple-hearted child, scarcely four summers old: his
little brain was easily bewildered. For him there was but one Lord,
the good and generous young nobleman at the Castle. Of _his_ power and
goodness Jamie could believe anything, and though he opened his eyes
wide at his sister's story, his face grew radiant with joy, as just at
that moment he caught sight of Lord Dundale trotting slowly down the
lane on his beautiful thoroughbred bay mare. In a moment he was over
the fence, in the road, in the very path of the rider, crying out in an
agony of entreaty, "Stop, stop, my lord! our Rab is dead; ye maun
(must) make him alive again!"

Lord Dundale checked his horse, and looked down on his little
petitioner in silent astonishment, while Mrs. Grey ran out of the
cottage, with baby in her arms, and, catching hold of Jamie, strove to
lift him out of the way. But the little fellow resisted sturdily,
crying still, "Let him make Rab alive! He _maun_ make him alive!"

"But, my little fellow," said the Earl, smiling, "if Rab is really
dead,--and I am very sorry to hear it,--_I_ cannot make him alive: how
could you think of such a thing?"