“To my successor I leave whatsoever of my papers he may think of any value to him, including all my notes on Revelation, of which I meant to make a book.  I hope he will never sing the paraphrases.

“If Mr. Carfrae’s health permits, you will ask him to preach the funeral sermon; but if he be too frail, then you will ask Mr. Trail, under whom I sat in Glasgow.  The illustrated ’Pilgrim’s Progress’ on the drawers in my bedroom belongs to Mr. Trail, and you will return it to him with my affection and compliments.

“I owe five shillings to Hendry Munn for mending my boots, and a smaller sum to Baxter, the mason.  I have two pounds belonging to Rob Dow, who asked me to take charge of them for him.  I owe no other man anything, and this you will bear in mind if Matthew Cargill, the flying stationer, again brings forward a claim for the price of Whiston’s ‘Josephus,’ which I did not buy from him.

“Mr. Moncur, of Aberbrothick, had agreed to assist me at the Sacrament, and will doubtless still lend his services.  Mr. Carfrae or Mr. Trail will take my place if my successor is not elected by that time.  The Sacrament cups are in the vestry press, of which you will find the key beneath the clock in my parlor.  The tokens are in the topmost drawer in my bedroom.

“The weekly prayer-meeting will be held as usual on Thursday at eight o’clock, and the elders will officiate.

“It is my wish that the news of my death be broken to my mother by Mr. Ogilvy, the schoolmaster, and by no other.  You will say to him that this is my solemn request, and that I bid him discharge it without faltering and be of good cheer.

“But if Mr. Ogilvy be not now alive, the news of my death will be broken to my mother by my beloved wife.  Last night I was married on the hill, over the tongs, but with the sanction of God, to her whom you call the Egyptian, and despite what has happened since then, of which you will soon have knowledge, I here solemnly declare that she is my wife, and you will seek for her at the Spittal or elsewhere till you find her, and you will tell her to go to my mother and remain with her always, for these are the commands of her husband.”

It was then that Gavin paused, for Lord Rintoul had that to say to him which no longer could be kept back.  All the women were crying sore, and also some men whose eyes had been dry at the coffining of their children.

“Now I ken,” said Cruickshanks, who had been an atheist, “that it’s only the fool wha’ says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

Another said, “That’s a man.”

Another said, “That man has a religion to last him all through.”

A fourth said, “Behold, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

A fifth said, “That’s our minister.  He’s the minister o’ the Auld
Licht Kirk o’ Thrums.  Woe is me, we’re to lose him.”

Many cried, “Our hearts was set hard against him.  O Lord, are you angry wi’ your servants that you’re taking him frae us just when we ken what he is?”