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.

290 WA'VER LEY NOVELS.
must be naturally supposed, that, as above hinted, this soli;tary being
received assistance occasionally from such travellers as crossed the moor
by chance, as well as from several who went from curiosity to visit his
works. It was, indeed, impossible to see a human creature, so unfitted, at
first sight, for hard labour, toiling with such unremitting assiduity, without
stopping a few minutes to aid him in his task; and, as no one of.his occasional assistants was acquainted with the degree of help which the Dwarf
had received from others, the celerity of his progress lost none of its marvels
in their eyes, The strong and comlpact appearance of the cottage, formed
in so very short a space, and by such a being, and the superior skill which
he displayed in mechanics, and in other arts, gave suspicion to the surrounding neighbours. They insisted, that, if he was not a phantom, — an
opinion which was now abandoned, since he plainly appea-red a being of
blood and bone with themselves, -yet he must be in close league with the
invisible world, and have chosen that sequestered spot to carry on his communication with them undisturbed. They insisted, though in a different
sense firom the philosopher's application of the phrase, that he was never
less alone than when alone; and that from the heights which commanded
the moor at a distance, passengers often discovered a person at work along
with this dweller of the desert, who regularly disappeared as soon as they
approached closer to the cottage. Such a figure was also occasionally seen
sitting beside him at the door, walking with him in the moor, or assisting
him in fetching water from his fountain. Earnscliff explained this phenomenon by supposing it to be the Dwarf's shadow.
"Deil a shadow has he," replied Hobbie Elliot, who was a strenuous
defender of the general opinion; "he's ower far in wi' the Auld Ane to
have a shadow. " Besides," he argued more logically, "wha ever heard
of a shadow that cam between a body and the sun? and this thing, be it
what it will, is thinner and taller than the body himsell,. and has been seen
to come between him and the sun mair than anes or twice either."
These suspicions, which, in any other part of the country, might have
been attended with investigations a little'inconvenient to the supposed
wizard, were here only productive of respect and awe. The recluse being
seemed somewhat gratified by the marks of timid veneration with which
an occasional passenger approached his dwelling, the look of startled surprise with which he surveyed his person and his premises, and the hurried
step with which he pressed his retreat as he passed the awful spot. The
boldest only stopped to gratify their curiosity by a hasty glance at the walls
of his cottage and garden, and to apologize for it by a courteous salutation,
which the inmate sometimes deigned to return by a word or a nod. Earnscliff often passed that way, and seldom without inquiring after the solitary
inmate, who seemed now to have arranged his-establishment for life.
It was impossible to engage him in any conversation on his own personal
affairs; nor was he communicative or accessible in talking on any other
subject whatever, although he seemed to have considerably relented in the
extreme ferocity of his misanthropy, or rather to be less frequently visited
with the fits of derangement of which this was a symptom. No argument
could prevail upon him to accept any thing beyond the simplest necessaries, although much more was offered by Earnscliff out of charity, and by
his more superstitious neighbours from other motives. The benefits of
these last he repaid by advice, when consulted (as at length he slowly was)
on their diseases, or those of their cattle. He often furnished them with
medicines also, and seemed possessed, not only of such as were the produce
of the country, but of foreign drugs. lIe gave these persons to understand,
that his name was Elshender the Recluse; but his popular epithet soon
came to be Canny Elshie, or the Wise Wight of Mucklestane-Moor. Some
extended their queries beyond their bodily complaints, and requested
advice upon other matters, which he delivered with an oracular shrewd