Guy Mannering.

GUY MANNERING. 71
needs ye groan, Dominie? I am sure Meg's sangs do
nae ill."
"Nor good neither," answered Dominie Sampson, in a
voice whose untunable harshness corresponded with the
awkwardness of his figure. They were the first words
which iMannering had heard him speak; and as he had
been watching with some curiosity when this eating,
drinking, moving, and smoking automaton would perform
the part of speaking, he was a good deal diverted with
the harsh timber tones which issued from him. But at
this moment the door opened, and AMeg Merrilies entered.
Her appearance made Mannering start. She was full
six feet high, wore a man's great-coat over the rest of her
dress, had in her hand a goodly sloe-thorn cudgel, and in
all points of equipment, except her petticoats, seemed
rather masculine than feminine. Her dark elf-locks shot
out like the snakes of the gorgon, between an old-fashioned bonnet called a bongrace, heightening the singular
effect of her strong and weather-beaten features, which
they partly shadowed, while her eye had a wild roll that
indicated something like real or affected insanity.
"Aweel, Ellangowan," she said, "wad it no hae been
a bonnie thing an the leddy had been brought to bed and
me at the fair o' Drumshourloch, no kenning, nor dreaming a word about it? Wha was to hae keepit awa the
worriecows, I trow?-ay, and the elves and gyre-carlings
frae the bonny bairn, grace be wi' it? Ay, or said Saint
Colme's charm for its sake, the dear?" And without
waiting an answer, she began to sing —
Trefoil, vervain, John's-wort, dill,
Hinders witches of their will;
Weel is them, that weel may
Fast upon St. Andrew's day.