James and I sat, I don’t know how long, but for some time,—­saying nothing:  he started up abruptly, and with some noise went to the table, and putting his right fore and middle fingers each into a shoe, pulled them out, and put them on, breaking one of the leather latchets, and muttering in anger, “I never did the like o’ that afore!”

I believe he never did; nor after either.  “Rab!” he said roughly, and pointing with his thumb to the bottom of the bed.  Rab leapt up, and settled himself; his head and eye to the dead face.  “Maister John, ye’ll wait for me,” said the carrier; and disappeared in the darkness, thundering down-stairs in his heavy shoes.  I ran to a front window; there he was, already round the house, and out at the gate, fleeing like a shadow.

I was afraid about him, and yet not afraid; so I sat down beside Rab, and being wearied, fell asleep.  I awoke from a sudden noise outside.  It was November, and there had been a heavy fall of snow.  Rab was in statu quo; he heard the noise too, and plainly knew it, but never moved.  I looked out; and there, at the gate, in the dim morning—­for the sun was not up—­was Jess and the cart,—­a cloud of steam rising from the old mare.  I did not see James; he was already at the door, and came up the stairs, and met me.  It was less than three hours since he left, and he must have posted out—­who knows how?—­to Howgate, full nine miles off; yoked Jess, and driven her astonished into town.  He had an armful of blankets, and was streaming with perspiration.  He nodded to me, spread out on the floor two pairs of clean old blankets having at their corners, “A.G., 1794,” in large letters in red worsted.  These were the initials of Alison Graeme, and James may have looked in at her from without—­himself unseen but not unthought of—­when he was “wat, wat, and weary,” and after having walked many a mile over the hills, may have seen her sitting, while “a’ the lave were sleepin’:”  and by the firelight working her name on the blankets, for her ain James’s bed.

He motioned Rab down, and taking his wife in his arms, laid her in the blankets, and happed her carefully and firmly up, leaving the face uncovered; and then lifting her, he nodded again sharply to me, and with a resolved but utterly miserable face, strode along the passage, and down-stairs, followed by Rab.  I followed with a light; but he didn’t need it.  I went out, holding stupidly the candle in my hand in the calm frosty air; we were soon at the gate.  I could have helped him, but I saw he was not to be meddled with, and he was strong, and did not need it.  He laid her down as tenderly, as safely, as he had lifted her out ten days before—­as tenderly as when he had her first in his arms when she was only “A.G.,”—­sorted her, leaving that beautiful sealed face open to the heavens; and then taking Jess by the head, he moved away.  He did not notice me, neither did Rab, who presided behind the cart.