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.

284 WAVERLEY NOVELSo
of hearing of these uncouth sounds, which was not ere they had gained a
considerable distance from the pillar that gave name to the moor. Each
made his private comments on the scene they had witnessed, until Hiobbie
Elliot suddenly exclaimed, "Weel, I'll uphaud that yon ghaist, if it, be a
ghaist, has baith done and suffered muckle evil in the flesh, that gars him
rampauge in that way after he is dead and gane."
" It seems to me the very madness of misanthropy," said Earnscliff, following his own current of thought.
" And ye didna think it was a spiritual creature, then?" asked Hobbie
It his companion.
"Who, I? - No, surely."
" Weel, I am partly of the mind mysell that it may be a live thing - and
yet I dinna ken, I wadna wish to see ony thing look liker a bogle."
" At any rate," said Earnscliff, " I will ride over to-morrow, and see what
has become of the unhappy being."
"In fair daylight?" queried the yeoman; "then, grace o' God, I'se be
wi' ye. But here we are nearer to Heugh-foot than to your house by twa
mile,-hadna ye better e'en gae hame wi' me, and we'll send the callant on
the powny to tell them that you are wi' us, though I believe there's naebody
at hame to wait for you but the servants and the cat."
" Have with you then, friend Hobbie," said the young hunter; " and as
I would not willingly have either the servants be anxious, or puss forfeit
her supper, in my absence, I'll be obliged to you to send the boy as you
propose.'
"Aweel, that is kind, I must say. And ye'll gae hame to Heugh-foot?
They'll be right blithe to see you, that will they."
This affair settled, they walked briskly on a little farther, when, coming
to the ridge of a pretty steep hill, Hobbie Elliot exclaimed, " Now, Earnscliff, I am aye glad when I come to this very bit —Ye see the light below,
that's in the ha' window, where grannie, the gash auld carline, is sitting
birling at her wheel - and ye see yon other light that's gaun whiddin' back
and forrit through amang the windows? that's my cousin, Grace Armstrong,
— she's twice as clever about the house as my sisters, and sae they say
themsells, for they're good-natured lasses as ever trode on heather; but
they confess themsells, and sae does grannie, that she has far maist action,
and is the best goer about the toun, now that grannie is off the foot hersell.
-My brothers, ane o' them's away to wait upon the chamberlain, and ane's
at Moss-phadraig, that's our led farm - he can see after the stock just as
weel as I can do."
"You are lucky, my good friend, in having so many valuable relations."
"Troth am I - Grace make me thankful, I'se never deny it. - But will
ye tell me now, Earnscliff, you that have been at college, and the highschool of Edinburgh, and got a' sort o' lair where it was to be best gottenwill ye tell me - no that it's ony concern of mine in particular, -but I
heard the priest of St. John's, and our minister, bargaining about it at the
Winter fair, and troth they baith spak very weel - Now, the priest says it's
unlawful to marry ane's cousin; but I cannot say I thought he brought out
the Gospel authorities half sae weel as our minister — our minister is
thought the best divine and the best preacher atween this and Edinburgh
- Dinna ye think he was likely to be right?"
"Certainly marriage, by all protestant Christians, is held to be as free as
God made it by the Levitical law; so, Hobbie, there can be no bar, legal or
religious, betwixt you and Miss Armstrong."
"Hout awa' wi' your joking, Earnscliff," replied his companion, - " ye
are angry eneugh yoursell if ane touches you a bit, man, on the sooth side
o(f the jest- No that I was asking the question about Grace, for ye maun
ken she's no my cousin-germain out and out, but the daughter of my uncle's
wife by her first marriage, so she's nae kith nor kin to me -only a con