Wandering Willie was nowhere, but the atmosphere was full of bagpipes.

It was an unremitting storm of bagpipes--silent, but assailing me bodily from all quarters--now small as motes in the sun, and hailing upon me; now large as feather-beds, and ready to bang us about, only they never touched us; now huge as Mount AEtna, and threatening to smother us beneath their ponderous bulk; for all the time I was toiling on with little Davie on my back.

Next day I was a little better, but very weak, and it was many days before I was able to get out of bed.

My father soon found that it would not do to let Mrs.Mitchell attend upon me, for I was always worse after she had been in the room for any time; so he got another woman to take Kirsty's duties, and set her to nurse me, after which illness became almost a luxury.

With Kirsty near, nothing could go wrong.