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.

THE ANTIQUARY. 57
against the windows, with his knowledge of the preceding fatigues of the
evening, must have prohibited Oldbuck, even had he entertained less regard
for his young friend than he really felt, from permitting him to depart.
Besides, he was piqued in honour to show that he himself was not governed
by womnankind —" Sit ye down, sit ye down, sit ye down, man," he reiterated;-" an ye part so, I would I might never draw a cork again, and here
comes out one from a prime bottle of-strong ale-right anno doemini-none
of your Wassia Quassia decoctions, but brewed of Monkbarns barley —John
of the Girnel never drew a better flagon to entertain a wandering minstrel,
or palmer, with the freshest news from Palestine.-And to remove from
your mind the slightest wish to depart, know, that if you do so, your
character as a gallant knight is gone forever. Why,'tis an adventure, man,
to sleep in the Green Rtoom at Monkbarns.-Sister, pray see it got readyAnd, although the bold adventurer, Heavysterne, dree'd pain and dolour in
that charmed apartment, it is no reason why a gallant knight like you,
nearly twice as tall, and not half so heavy, should not encounter and break
the spell."
" What! a haunted apartment, I suppose?"
" To be sure, to be sure —every mansion in this country of the slightest
antiquity has its ghosts and its haunted chamber, and you must not suppose
us worse off than our neighbours. They are going, indeed, somewhat out
of fashion. I have seen the day, when if you had doubted the reality of a
ghost in an old manor-house, you ran the risk of being made a ghost yourself, as Hamlet says. —Yes, if you had challenged the existence of Redcowl
in the Castle of Glenstirym, old Sir Peter Pepperbrand would have had ye
out to his court-yard, made you betake yourself to your weapon, and if
your trick of fence were not the better, would have sticked you like a paddock, on his own baronial middenstead. I once narrowly escaped such an
affray-but I humbled myself and apologised to Redcowl; for, even in my
younger days, I was no friend to the monomachia, or duel, and would rather
walk with Sir Priest than with Sir Knight-I care not who knows so much
of my valour. Thank God, I am old now, and can indulge my irritabilities
without the necessity of supporting them by cold steel."
tHere M3iss Oldbuck re-enteied, with a singularly sage expression of countenance.-" Mr. Lovel's bed's ready, brother —clean sheets —weel aireda spunk of fare in the chimney-I am sure, Mr. Lovel" (addressing him),
"it's no for the trouble-and I hope you will have a good night's restBut""You are resolved," said the Antiquary, "to do what you can to prevent
it."
"Me?-I am sure I have said naething, Monkbarns."
"My dear madam," said Lovel, " allow me to ask you the meaning of
your obliging anxiety on my account."
" Ou, Monkbarns does not like to hear of it —but he kens himsell that the
room has an ill name. It's weel minded that it was there auld Rab Tull
the town-clerk was sleeping when he had that marvellous communication
about the grand law-plea between us and the feuars at the Mussel-craigIt had cost a hantle siller, Mr. Lovel; for law-pleas were no carried on
without siller lang syne mair than they are now-and the ionkbarns of
that day-our gudlesire, Mr. Loevel, as I said before-was like to be waured
afore the Session for want of a paper - Monkbarns there kens weel what
paper it was, but I'se warrant he'll no help me out wi' my tale-but it was
a paper of great significance to the plea, and we were to be waured for want
o't. Aweel, the cause was to come on before the fifteen — in presence, as
they ca't- and auld Rab Tull, the town-clerk, he cam ower to make a last
search for the paper that was wanting, before our gudesire gaed into Edinburgh to look after his-plea-so there was little time to come and gang on.
He was but a doited snuffy body, Rab, as I've heard- but then he was