‘No dead outricht,’ said Eppie, not so grateful as she ought to have been for the great respite, never having contemplated the extremity, ‘but he is no muckle better, so far as being a bread-winner is concerned. He was trying to break in a maisterfu’ horse, when it turned and flung at him, and struck him atween the elbow and the shouther. His arm--and it’s his richt ane--is that melled the doctor is feared the banes will never gang thegither again, and he may have to cut it aff bodily. If poor Bob survive the operation, and be left an ae-armed man, he’ll no even be fit for a hag man’ (the used-up man who is the cattle-feeder on a farm). His maister may do something for him, so long as he lives, since the hurt was got in his service, but Bob cannot be allowed mair than will provide for his ain bite and sup, and what is to become of his bairns even in his lifetime Gude can tell. Me and my man micht take ane o’ the halflin lassies, but we could do nae mair; and little as the like o’ her is gude for, she’s like to be ill spared with her faither as weel as her little brither thrown on her and her sister’s care. Pity me! for the care, wi’ the auldest of the twa hardly in her teens. Now, Jean, when you’ve heard a’ will you flee out on me again for wishing the weary wean were safe in a better place?’ Jean was silent in the magnitude of the calamity. At this moment Eppie had only one complaint to make of the victim, and she did not dream of including Jean in it, for Eppie was a loyal friend as well as an attached sister. She had heard already how Bob as a widower had ventured to make up to Jean Kinloch again, and so far from approving of the venture, Eppie, in fairness to her sex, and still more in fairness to Jean, had said stoutly, unswayed by family interest and partiality, that Bob was rightly served in the repulse he had received. He had no reason to count on any other answer. He was both bold and simple to speer Jean Kinloch’s price a second time. There had always been a simplicity about him, poor chap, though he was no fool either. Doubtless that had been the cause of his falling an easy victim to the wiles of that light-headed cutty Leezbeth Red--that Eppie should miscall the dead. But Eppie’s auld mother, who had a great work with Jean, could never abide Leezbeth. Thus Eppie took refuge from any self-reproach for the disparaging criticism on her late sister-in-law, by regarding it as a mark of filial respect.