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The fire in the hearth had burned down to a bed of glowing e the

"When Frank and I were married," I said, "ent to be counseled by a priest He advised us to begin our ht Frank said he wasn’t sure whether this was meant to be devotion, an aid to sleep, or only a Church-sanctioned method of birth control"

Jahter behind me

"Well, we could try if ye like, Sassenach," he said "Though ye’ll have to keep count of the Hail Marys; you’re lyin’ on htly to allow him to pull his hand out from under my hip

"Not that, I don’t think," I said "But perhaps a prayer Do you know any good going-to-bed prayers?"

"Aye, lots," he said, holding up his hand and flexing his fingers slowly as the blood returned to them Dark in the dimness of the room, the slow movement reminded me of the way in which he lured trout from under rocks "Let me think a bit"

The house beloas silent now, save for the usual creaks and groans of settling tiht I heard a voice outside, raised in distant arguht have been no more than the rattle of tree branches in the wind

"Here’s one," Jaht it to ht one day find it useful"

He settled himself comfortably, head bent so his chin rested on an to speak, low and warm-voiced, in my ear

"Bless to me, O God, the moon that is above me,

Bless to me, O God, the earth that is beneath me,

Bless to me, O God, my wife and my children,

And bless, O God, myself who have care of them;

Bless to me my wife and my children,

And bless, O God, un with a certain self-consciousness, hesitating now and then to find a word, but that had faded with the speaking Now he spoke soft and sure, and no longer to h his hand lay war on whichon which my hope doth rest,

Bless, O God, my reason and my purpose,

Bless, O bless Thou them, Thou God of life;

Bless, O God, my reason and my purpose,

Bless, O bless Thou them, Thou God of life"

His hand smoothed the curve of my hip, lifted to stroke my hair

"Bless toofofofofof my rest"

His hand lay still, curled under hed deeply

"Oh, I like that Especially ‘the angeling of el prayer--‘May Michael be at ht, Gabriel at my left, Uriel behind me, Rafael before me--and above my head, the Presence of the Lord’ "

He didn’t answer, but squeezed ers in reply An ember in the hearth fell apart with a soft whuff, and sparks floated for an instant in the dimness of the room

So hi," he whispered "Just a wee note I’d hean donn I’ll wake beside ye"

Fraser’s Ridge, 1 December, 1770

James Fraser, Esq, to Lord John Grey,

Mount Josiah Plantation