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.

PEVERIL OF THE PEAK. 439
manner to the unfortunate girl had been always gentle, and free from those
teasing jests in which his gay friend indulged, with less regard to the peculiarity of her situation and feelings; so Fenella, on her part, had usually
shown much greater. deference to him than to any of the household, her
mistress, the Countess, always excepted.
On the present occasion, planting herself in the very midst of the narrow
descent, so as to make it impossible for Peveril to pass by her, she proceeded
to put him to the question by a series of gestures, which we will endeavour
to describe. She commenced by extending her hand slightly, accompanied
with the sharp inquisitive look which served her as a note of interrogation.
This was meant as an inquiry whether he was going to a distance. Julian,
in reply, extended his arm more than half, to intimate that the distance was
considerable. Fenella looked grave, shook her head, and pointed to the
Countess's window, which was visible from the spot where they stood.
Peveril smiled, and nodded, to intimate there was no danger in quitting her
mnistress for a short space. The little maiden next touched an eagle's fcather
which she wore in her hair, a sign which she usually employed to designate
the Earl, and then looked inquisitively at Julian once more, as if to say,
" Goes he with you?" Peveril shook his head, and, somewhat wearied by
these interrogatories, smiled, and made an effort to pass. Fenella frowned,
struck the end of her ebony rod perpendicularly on the ground, and again
shook her head, as if opposing his departure. But finding that Julian persevered in his purpose, she sucddenly assumed another and a milder mood,
held him by the skirt of his cloak with one hand, and raised the other in an
imploring attitude, whilst every feature of her lively countenance was composed into the like expression of supplication; and the fire of the large dark
eyes, which seemed in general so keen and piercing as almost to over-animate the little sphere to which they belonged, seemed quenched, for the
moment, in the large drops which hung on her long eyelashes, but without
falling.
Julian Peveril was far from beiun voild of sympathy towards the. poor
girl, whose motives in opposing his departure appeared to be her affection-:i;tc apprehension for her mistress's safety. HIe endeavoured to reassure
her by smiles, and, at the same time, by such signs as he could devise, to
intimate that there was no danger, and that he would return presently; and
having succeeded in extricating his cloak from her grasp, and in passing
her on the stair, he began to descend the steps as speedily as he could, in
order to avoid farther importunity.
But with activity much greater than his, the dumb maiden hastened to
intercept him, and succeeded by throwing herself, at the imminent risk of
life and limb, a second time into the pass which he was descending, so as
to interrupt his purpose. In order to achieve this, she was obliged to let
herself drop a considerable height from the wall of a small flanking battery,
where two patereroes were placed to scour the pass, in case any enemy could
have mounted so high. Julian had scarce time to shudder at her purpose,
as he beheld her about to spring from the parapet, ere, like a thing of gossamer, she stood light and uninjured on the rocky platform below. HIe enmyself to give any faith to this, I have frequently been very rmch surprised, when, on visiting a friend, I have
found the table ready spread. and everything in order to receive mle, and being told by the person to whom I
wmint, tlhat he had knowiedge of my coming, or somre other guest, by these good-natured intelligencers; nay,
when obliged to be absent some timrie from home, mny own servants have assured me they were infornmed by
lhese meanis of my returl, and expected me the very hour I came, though perhaps it was some days before I
coped it myself at my going abroad. That this is fact, I am positively convinced by many proofs; but how
or wherefore it should he so, has frequently given ame niuchl matter of refilection, yet left mle in the same uncertainty as befte. IlHere, therefore, I will quit t he sulbiect, anld proceed to things much easier to be accolunited for." —Watro7's Descl-iption o tlhe Isle of MAan, folio, 1731. p. 123.'Ihis long quotation is extrenlely curious, as continiing an accoiunt of those very superstitions in the Isle
of Mtan, whlch are fiequenltly collected both inl Ielandl and in thle Highlands of Scotland, and which have
employed the attention of lMr. Crofton Crokler. and of the author of the F'al-y Mythology. The superstitions
ae ill every respect so like each other, thlt they may be referred to one cotitton source; unless we conclide that they ire natural to the humian rmind, an, like the common orders of vegetables, which naturally
spr-i t ulp ill every cli-i1:ate, the se'tturally arise inevery bosomln; as tile best phlilologists are of opinion, that
fragmiieints of an original speecll tre to be discovered in alrr-osltil lanlguages ill the gobe.