He looked so very ill, and his worn face with the snow-white hair ruffled about it, was so pallid and thin.
"God forbid that I should do that!" he murmured tremulously.

"God forbid! Mary, you don't think I would ever do that ?" "No--of course not!" she answered soothingly.

"Because you see, you've come back again.

But if you had gone away altogether----" "You'd have thought me an ungrateful, worthless old rascal, wouldn't you ?" And the smile again sparkled in his dim eyes.

"And you and Angus Reay would have said--'Well, never mind him! He served one useful purpose at any rate--he brought us together!'" "Now, David!" said Mary, holding up a warning finger, "You know we shouldn't have talked in such a way of you at all! Even if you had never come back, we should always have thought of you kindly--and I should have always loved you and prayed for you!" He was silent, mentally pulling himself together.