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.

130 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
which seemed to be at the mercy of a desperate man, could only bring
out, "Mine patron, this is not the allerbestmost usage. Consider, mine
honoured sir, that de spirits"
Here Edie, who began to enter into the humour of the scene, uttered an
extraordinary howl, being an exaltation and a prolongation of the most
deplorable whine in which he was accustomed to solicit charity.
iDousterswivel flung himself on his knees-" Dear Sir Arthurs, let us go,
or let me go!"
"No, you cheating scoundrel!" said the knight, unsheathing the sword
which he had brought for the purposes of the exorcism, " that shift shall
not serve you - Monkbarns warned me long since of your juggling pranks
— I will see this treasure before you leave this place, or I will have you
confess yourself an impostor, or, by Heaven, I'll run this sword through
you, though all the spirits of the dead should rise around us!"
"For de lofe of Heaven be patient, mine honoured patron, and you
shall hafe all de treasure as I knows of-yes, you shall indeed —But do not
speak about de spirits-it makes dem angry."
Edie Ochiltree here prepared himself to throw in another groan, but was
restrained by Lovel, who began to take a more serious interest, as he
observed the earnest and almost desperate demeanour of Sir Arthur.
Dousterswivel, having at once before his eyes the fear of the foul fiend,
and the violence of Sir Arthur, played his part of a conjuror extremely ill,
hesitating to assume the degree of confidence necessary to deceive the
latter, lest it should give offence to the invisible cause of his alarm. However, after rolling his eyes, muttering and sputtering German exorcisms,
with contortions of his face and person, rather flowing from the impulse of
terror than of meditated fraud, he at length proceeded to a corner of the
building where a fiat stone lay upon the ground, bearing upon its surface
the effigy of an armed warrior in a recumbent posture carved in bas-relief.
He muttered to Sir Arthur, " Mine patrons, it is here-Got save us all!"
Sir Arthur, who, after the first moment of his superstitious fear was
over, seemed to have bent up all his faculties to the pitch of resolution
necessary to carry on the adventure, lent the adept his assistanee to turn
over the stone, which, by means of a lever that the adept had provided,
their joint force with difficulty effected. No supernatural light burst forth
from below to indicate the subterranean treasury, nor was there any Iapparition of spirits, earthly or infernal. But when Dousterswivel had, with
great trepidation, struck a few strokes with a mattock, and as hastily
thrown out a shovelful or two of earth (for they came provided with the
tools necessary for digging,) something was heard to ring like the sound of
a falling piece of metal, and Dousterswivel, hastily catching up the substance which produced it, and which his shovel had thrown out along with
the earth, exclaimed, " On mine dear wort, mine patrons, dis is all —it is
indeed; I mean all we can do to-night;"-and he gazed round him with a
cowering and fearful glance, as if to see from what corner the avenger of
his imposture was to start forth.
"Let me see it," said Sir Arthur; and then repeated, still more sternly,
"I will be satisfied -I will judge by mine own eyes." He accordingly
held the object to the light of the lantern. It was a small case, or casket,
-for Lovel could not at the distance exactly discern its shape, which, froml
the Baronet's exclamation as he opened it, he concluded was filled with
coin. "Ay," said the Baronet, "this is being indeed in good luck! and
if it omens proportional success upon a larger venture, the venture shall be
made. That six hundred of Goldieword's, added to the other incumbent
claims, must have been ruin indeed. If you think we can parry it by
repeating this experiment - suppose when the moon next changes, -I will
hazard the necessary advance, come by it how I may."
"0 mine good patrons, do not speak about all dat," said Dousterswivel,