But owing to the illness into which she was flung by Miss Kitty's death, that unjust letter was never written.
But why did Mr.McLean continue to write to Miss Kitty?
Well, have pity or be merciless as you choose.

For several years Mr.
McLean's letters had been the one thing the sisters looked forward to, and now, when Miss Ailie was without Miss Kitty, must she lose them also?
She never doubted, though she may have been wrong, that, if Ivie knew of Miss Kitty's death, one letter would come in answer, and that the last.

She could not tell him.

In the meantime he wrote twice asking the reason of this long silence, and at last Miss Ailie, whose handwriting was very like her sister's, wrote him a letter which was posted at Tilliedrum and signed "Katherine Cray." The thing seems monstrous, but this gentle lady did it, and it was never so difficult to do again.

Latterly, it had been easy.
This last letter of Mr.McLean's announced to Miss Kitty that he was about to start for home "for good," and he spoke in it of coming to Thrums to see the sisters, as soon as he reached Redlintie.