And he greatly aggravated the dominie's trouble by saying, "Why did ye na mak me do right, Tallisker?
You should hae been mair determined wi' me, dominie." During the next six weeks the dominie's efforts were almost superhuman.

He saw every cottage whitewashed; he was nurse and doctor and cook.

The laird saw him carrying wailing babies and holding raving men in his strong arms.

He watched over the sick till the last ray of hope fled; he buried them tenderly when all was over.

The splendor of the man's humanity had never shown itself until it stood erect and feared not, while the pestilence that walked in darkness and the destruction that wasted at noon-day dogged his every step.
The laird, too, tried to do his duty.