At last I have a visitor, one who will hear my final words, because I know that the end is near. I have no fear of the world to come, I have lived a good life and shall surely be in heaven, where I will join those who have gone before me.

My visitor is Sir John Maitland, the son of Mary Fleming's old suitor. He has come to see the conditions in which I am living, supposedly to ensure they are satisfactory for me.

“Who sent you?” I ask him. I wonder if my family have been concerned for my plight; I have had no word of them for many years.

“Your mistress’s son has been concerned for your welfare, and he wishes to know that you are living in a manner befitting a woman who so loyally served his mother.”

“He has changed his tune,&rdq...

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