The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

152 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
Thus saying, old Edie, closely accompanied by the adept, led the way
towards the ruins, but presently made a full halt in front of them.
"Ye're a learned man, Mr. Dousterdeevil, and ken muckle o' the
marvellous works o' nature-Now, will ye tell me ae thing? — D'ye
believe in ghaists and spirits that walk the earth? - d'ye believe in them,
ay or no?"
"Now, goot Mr. Edie," whispered Dousterswivel, in an expostulatory
tone of voice, "is this a times or a places for such a questions?"
"Indeed is it, baith the tane and the t'other, Mr. Dustanshovel; for I
maun fairly tell ye, there's reports that auld Misticot walks. Now this
wad be an uncanny night to meet him in, and wha kens if he wad be ower
weel pleased wi' our purpose of visiting his pose?"
"Alle guter Geister"- muttered the adept, the rest of the conjuration
being lost in a tremulous warble of his voice, - " I do desires you not to
speak so, Mr. Edie; for, from all I heard dat one other night, I do much
believes" -
"Now I," said Ochiltree, entering the chancel, and flinging abroad his
arm with an air of defiance, " I wadna gie the crack o' my thumb for him
were he to appear at this moment; he's but a disembodied spirit, as we are
embodied anes."
"For the lofe of heavens," said Dousterswivel, "'say nothing at all
neither about somebodies or nobodies!"
" Aweel," said the beggar (expanding the shade of the lantern), "here's
the stane, and, spirit or no spirit, I'se be a wee bit deeper in the grave;"
and he jumped into the place from which the precious chest had that morning been removed. After striking a few strokes, he tired, or affected to
tire, and said to his companion, "I'm auld and failed now, and canna keep
at it-time about's fair play, neighbour; ye maun get in and tak the shule
a bit, and shule out the loose earth, and then I'll tak turn about wi' you."
Dousterswivel accordingly took the place which the beggar had evacuated,
and toiled with all the zeal that awakened avarice, mingled with the anxious
wish to finish the undertaking and leave the place as soon as possible, could
inspire in a mind at once greedy, suspicious, and timorous.
Edie, standing much at his ease by the side of the hole, contented himself with exhorting his associate to labour hard. "My certie! few ever
wrought for siccan a day's wage; an it be but -say the tenth part o' the
size o' the kist No. I., it will double its value, being filled wi' gowd instead
of silver. Od, ye work as if ye had been bred to pick and shule-ye could
win your round half-crown ilka day. Tak care o' your taes wi' that stane!"
giving a kick to a large one which the adept had heaved out with difficulty,
and which Edie pushed back again, to the great annoyance of his associate's shins.
Thus exhorted by the mendicant, Dousterswivel struggled and laboured
among the stones and stiff clay, toiling like a horse, and internally blaspheming in German. When such an unhallowed syllable escaped his lips,
Edie changed his battery upon him.
"0 dinna swear! dinna swear! Wha kens wha's listening! —Eh! gude
guide us, what's yon! - Hout, it's just a branch of ivy flightering awa frae
the wa'; when the moon was in, it lookit unco like a dead man's arm wi' a
taper in't — I thought it was Misticot himsell. But never mind, work you
away-fling the earth weel up by out o' the gate Od, if ye're no as clean
a worker at a grave as Will Winnet himsell! What gars ye stop now? —
ye're just at the very bit for a chance."
"Stop 1" said the German, in a tone of anger and disappointment, " why,
I am down at de rocks dat de cursed ruins (God forgife me!) is founded
upon."
" Weel," said the beggar, "that's the likeliest bit of ony. It will be but
a muckle through-stane laid doun to kiver the gowd — tak the pick till't,