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.

282 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
Willie again, puir chield - it was but twa or three hail drops after a'. I
wad let ony body do the like o't to me for a pint o' brandy. But Willie's
lowland bred, poor fallow, and soon frighted for himsell —And, for the
worricows, were we to meet ane on this very bit-"
"As is not unlikely," said young Earnscliff, "for there stands your old
witch, IIobbie."
"I say," continued Elliot, as if indignant at this hint — " I say, if the
auld carline hersell was to get up out o' the grund just before us here, I
would think nae mairn-But, gude preserve us, Earnscliff, what can you be?"
C0uutor t~tat Wath
Brown Dwarf, that o'er the moorland strays,
Thy name to Keeldar tell!
"The Brown Man of the Moor, that stays
Beneath the heather-bell."
JoIN LEYDEN.
THE object which alarmed the young farmer in the middle of his valorous
protestations, startled for a moment even his less prejudiced companion.
The moon, which had risen during their conversation, was, in the phrase
of that country, wading or struggling with clouds, and shed only a doubtful
and occasional light. By one of her beams, which streamed upon the great
granite column to which they now approached, they discovered a form,
apparently human, but of a size much less than ordinary, which moved
slowly among the large grey stones, not like a person intending to journey
onward, but with the slow, irregular, flitting movement of a being who
hovers around some spot of melancholy recollection, uttering also, fromn
time to time, a sort of indistinct muttering sound. This so much resembled
his idea of the notions of an apparition, that Hobbie Elliot, making a dead
pause, while his hair erected itself upon its scalp, whispered to his companion, " It's Auld Alie hersell! Shall I gie her a shot, in the name of
God?"
c" For HIeaven's sake, no," said his companion, holding down the weapon
which he was about to raise to the aim-"for Heaven's sake, no; it's some
poor distracted creature."
"Ye're distracted yoursell, for thinking of going so near to her," said
Elliot, holding his companion in his turn, as he prepared to advance.
"We'll aye hae time to pit ower a bit prayer (an I could but mind ane)
afore she comes this length —God! she's in nae hurry," continued he, growing bolder from his companion's confidence, and the little notice the apparition seemed to take of them. " She hirples like a hen on a het girdle.
I redd ye, Earnscliff," (this he added in a gentle whisper,) "let us take a
cast about, as if to draw the wind on a buck — the bog is no abune kneedeep, and better a saft road as bad company." *
Earnscliff, however, in spite of his companion's resistance and remonstrances, continued to advance on the path they had originally pursued,
and soon confronted the object of their investigation.
The height of the figure, which appeared even to decrease as they approached it, seemed to be under four feet, and its form, as far as the imperfect light afforded them the means of discerning, was very nearly as broad
The Scots use the epithet soft, in malam partem, in two cases at least. A soft road, is a road through:uagmire and bogs; and soft weather, signifies that which is very rainy.