RAB AND HIS FRIENDS 



and he starting up, surprised, and slinking off 

 as if he were to blame somehow, or had been 

 dreaming he heard. Many eager questions 

 and beseechings which James and I could 

 make nothing of, and on which she seemed 

 to set her all, and then sink back ununder- 

 stood. It was very sad, but better than many 

 things that are not called sad. James hovered 

 about, put out and miserable, but active and 

 exact as ever ; read to her, when there was a 

 lull, short bits from the psalms, prose and 

 metre, chanting the latter in his own rude and 

 serious way, showing great knowledge of the 

 fit words, bearing up like a man, and doating 

 over her as his " ain Ailie." ' " Ailie, ma 

 woman ! " " Ma ain bonnie wee dawtie ! " 



The end was drawing on : the golden bowl 

 was breaking ; the silver cord was fast being 

 loosed that animula blandula^ vagu/a, hospes, 

 comesque was about to flee. The body and the 

 soul companions for sixty years were being 

 sundered, and taking leave. She was walking, 

 alone, through the valley of that shadow, into 



35 



