The monastery; The abbot.

THE MONASTERY. 49
missions at Glendearg, was an object of secret apprehension and suspicion.
"Gracious heavens!" she added, rising up, "where is my child?" All
rushed to the spence, Halbert Glendinning first arming himself with a rusty
sword, and the younger seizing upon the lady's book. They hastened to
the spence, and were relieved of a part of their anxiety by meeting Mary
at the door of the apartment. She did not seem in the slightest degree
alarmed, or disturbed. They rushed into the' spence, (a sort of interior
apartment in which the family ate their victuals in the summer season,)
but there was no one there.
"Where is Christie of Clint-hill?" said Martin.
"I do not know," said little Mary; " I never saw him."
"And what made you, ye misleard loons," said Dame Elspeth to her two
boys, " come yon gate into the ha', roaring like bullsegs, to frighten the
leddy, and her far frae strong?" The boys looked at each other in silence
and confusion, and their mother proceeded with her lecture. " Could ye find
nae night for daffin but Hallowe'en, and nae time but when the leddy was
reading to us about the holy Saints? May ne'er be in my fingers, if I dinna
sort ye baith for it!" The eldest boy bent his eyes on the ground, the
younger began to weep, but neither spoke; and the mother would have proceeded to extremities, but for the interposition of the little maiden.
" Dame Elspeth, it was my fault-I did say to them, that I saw a man in
the spence."
"And what made you do so, child," said her mother, "to startle us all
thus?"
" Because," said Mary, lowering her voice, " I could not help it."
" Not help it, Mary! -you occasioned all this idle noise, and you could
not help it? How mean you by that, minion?"
"There really was an armed man in this spence," said Mary; "and
because I was surprised to see him, I cried out to Halbert and Edward "
" She has told it herself," said Halbert Glendinning, "or it had never
been told by me."
" Nor by me neither," said Edward, emulously.
" Mistress Mary," said Elspeth, "you never told us anything before that
was not true; tell us if this was a Hallowe'en cantrip, and make an end of
it." The Lady of Avenel looked as if she would have interfered, but knew
not how; and Elspeth, who was too eagerly curious to regard any distant
hint, persevered in her inquiries. "Was it Christie of the Clint-hill? - I
would not for a mark that he were about the house, and a body no ken
whare."
" It was not Christie," said Mary; "it was-it was a gentleman-a gentleman with a bright breastplate, like what I hae seen langsyne, when we
dwelt at Avenel "
" What like was he?" continued Tibb, who now took share in the investigation.
"Black-haired, black-eyed, with a peaked black beard," said the child;
"and many a fold of pearling round his neck, and hanging down his breast
ower his breastplate; and he had a beautiful hawk, with silver bells, standing on his left hand, with a crimson silk hood upon its head "
"Ask her no more questions, for the love of God," said the anxious
menial to Elspeth, "but look to my leddy! " But the Lady of Avenel,
taking Mary in her hand, turned hastily away, and, walking into the hall,
gave them no opportunity of remarking in what manner she received the
child's communication, which she thus cut short. What Tibb thought
of it appeared from her crossing herself repeatedly, and whispering
into Elspeth's ear, "Saint Mary preserve us!-the lassie has seen her
father!"
When they reached the hall, they found the lady holding her daughter
on her knee,.and kissing her repeatedly. When they entered, she again
TOL. V. -4