Pamela, I'm afraid to open it.

It looks like a lawyer's letter." "Open it then." Jean opened it slowly and read the enclosure with a puzzled frown; then she dropped it with a cry.
Pamela looked up from her work to see Jean with tears running down her face.

Jock and Mhor stopped what they were doing and came to look at her.

Peter rubbed himself against her legs by way of comfort.
"My dear," said Pamela, "is there anything wrong ?" "Oh, do you remember the little old man who came one day to look at the house and stayed to tea and I sang 'Strathairlie' to him?
He's dead." Jean's tears flowed afresh as she said the words.

"How I wish I had been kinder to him.