“Help me ben.”

And Winsome, taking her arm, guided her into the hushed room where her husband sat, still holding his hand on the head of Allan Welsh.

Something in the pose of the kneeling man struck her—­a certain helpless inclination forward.

Winsome ran, and, taking Allan Welsh by the shoulders, lifted him up in her strong young arms.

He was dead.  He had passed in the act of forgiveness.

Walter Skirving, who had sat rapt and silent through it all as though hardly of this world, now said clearly and sharply: 

“’For if ye forgive men their trespasses, so also shall your heavenly Father forgive you.’”

Walter Skirving did not long survive the man, in hatred of whom he had lived, and in unity with whom he had died.  It seemed as though he had only been held to the earth by the necessity that the sun of his life should not go down upon his wrath.  This done, like a boat whose moorings are loosed, very gladly he went out that same night upon the ebb tide.  The two funerals were held upon the same day.  Minister and elder were buried side by side one glorious August day, which was a marvel to many.  So the Dullarg kirk was vacant, and there was only Manse Bell to take care of the property.  Jonas Shillinglaw came from Cairn Edward and communicated the contents of both Walter Skirving’s will and of that of Allan Welsh to those whom it concerned.  Jonas had made several journeys of late both to the manse as well as to the steading of Craig Ronald.  Walter Skirving left Craig Ronald and all of which he died possessed to Winsome Charteris, subject to the approval of her grandmother as to whom she might marry.  There was a recent codicil.  “I desire to record my great satisfaction that Winifred Charteris or Welsh is likely to marry the son of my old friend Gilbert Peden, minister of the Marrow kirk in Edinburgh; and hearing that the young man contemplates the career of letters, I desire that, if it be possible, in the event of their marriage, they come to abide at Craig Ronald, at least till a better way be opened for them.  I commend my wife, ever loving and true, to them both; and in the good hope of a glorious resurrection I commit myself to Him who made me.”

Allan Welsh left all his goods and his property to Ralph Peden, “being as mine own son, because he taught me to know true love, and fearlessness and faith unfeigned.  Also because one dear to him brought me my hope of forgiveness.”

There was indeed need of Ralph at Craig Ronald.  Mistress Skirving cried out incessantly for him.  Meg begged Winsome to let her look every day at the little miniature Ralph had sent her from Edinburgh.  The Cuif held forth upon the great event every night when he came over to hold the tails of Meg’s cows.  Jock Forrest still went out, saying nothing, whenever the Cuif came in, which the Cuif took to be a good sign.  Only Ebie Fairrish, struck to the heart by the inconstancy of Jess, removed at the November term back again to the “laigh end” of the parish, and there plunged madly into flirtations with several of his old sweethearts.  He is reported to have found in numbers the anodyne for the unfaithfulness of one.  As for what Winsome thought and longed for, it is better that we should not begin to tell, not having another volume to spare.