wi'
Tammas lookin' at him sae wistfully, as if he hed the keys o' life an'
deith in his hands. But he wes honest, and wudna hold oot a false houp
tae deceive a sore hert or win escape for himsel'."

"Ye needna plead wi' me, Tammas, to dae the best a' can for yir wife.
Man, a' kent her lang afore ye ever luved her; a' brocht her intae the
warld, and a' saw her through the fever when she wes a bit lassikie;
a' closed her mither's een, and it was me hed tae tell her she wes an
orphan, an' nae man wes better pleased when she got a gude husband, and
a' helpit her wi' her fower bairns. A've naither wife nor bairns o' ma
own, an' a' coont a' the fouk o' the Glen ma family. Div ye think a'
wudna save Annie if I cud? If there wes a man in Muirtown 'at cud dae
mair for her, a'd have him this verra nicht, but a' the doctors in
Perthshire are helpless for this tribble.

"Tammas, ma puir fallow, if it could avail, a' tell ye a' wud lay doon
this auld worn-oot ruckle o' a body o' mine juist tae see ye baith
sittin' at the fireside, an' the bairns roond ye, couthy an' canty
again; but it's no tae be, Tammas, it's no tae be."

"When a' lookit at the doctor's face," Marget said, "a' thocht him the
winsomest man a' ever saw. He was transfigured that nicht, for a'm
judging there's nae transfiguration like luve."

"It's God's wull an' maun be borne, but it's a sair wull for me, an' a'm
no ungratefu' tae you, doctor, for a' ye've dune and what ye said the
nicht," and Tammas went back to sit with Annie for the last time.

Jess picked her way through the deep snow to the main road, with a skill
that came of long experience, and the doctor held converse with her
according to his wont.

"Eh, Jess wumman, yon wes the hardest wark a' hae tae face, and a' wud
raither hae ta'en ma chance o' anither row in a Glen Urtach drift than
tell Tammas Mitchell his wife wes deein'.

"A' said she cudna be cured, and it wes true, for there's juist ae man
in the land fit for't, and they micht as weel try tae get the mune oot
o' heaven. Sae a' said naethin' tae vex Tammas's hert, for it's heavy
eneuch withoot regrets.

"But it's hard, Jess, that money wull buy life after a', an' if Annie
wes a duchess her man wudna lose her; but bein' only a puir cottar's
wife, she maun dee afore the week's oot.

"Gin we hed him the morn there's little doot she would be saved, for he
hesna lost mair than five per cent, o' his cases, and they 'ill be puir
toon's craturs