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 BLACK DWTARF. 287
called upon to put yoursell in no rash adventures- for yours was aye ower
venturesome a race, and muckle harm they have got by it."
"But I am sure, my good friend, you would not have me be afraid of
going to an open moor in broad day-light?"
" I dinna ken," said the good old dame; " I wad never bid son or friend
o' mine haund their hand back in a gude cause, whether it were a friend's or
their ain —that should be by nae bidding of mine, or of ony body that's
come of a gentle kindred-But it winna gang out of a grey head like mine,
that to gang to seek for evil that's no fashing wi' you, is clean against law
and Scripture."
Earnscliff resigned an argument which he saw no prospect of maintaining with good effect, and the entrance of supper broke off the conversation.
Miss Grace had by this time made her appearance, and Hobbie, not without a conscious glance at Earnscliff, placed himself by her side. Mirth and
lively conversation, in which the old lady of the house took the goodhumoured share which so well becomes old age, restored to the cheeks of
the damsels the roses which their brother's tale of the apparition had chased
away, and they danced and sung for an hour after supper as if there were
no such things as goblins in the world.
i am a misanthropos, and hate mankind;
For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog,
That I might love thee something.
TIION or ATIIENS.
ON the following morning, after breakfast, Earnscliff took leave of his
hospitable friends, promising to return in time to partake of the venison,
which had arrived from his house. Hobbie, who apparently took leave of
him at the door of his habitation, slunk out, however, and joined him at the
top of the hill.
"Ye'll be gaun yonder, Mr. Patrick; feind o' me will mistryst you for a'
my mother says. I thought it best to slip out quietly though, in case she
should mislippen something of what we're gaun to do -we maunna vex
her at nae rate -it was amaist the last word my father said to me on his
deathbed."
"By no means, HIobbie," said Earnscliff; "she well merits all your
attention."
" Troth, for that matter, she would be as sair vexed amaist for you as for
me. But d'ye really think there's nae presumption in venturing back
yonder?-We hae nae special commission, ye ken."
"If I thought as you do, Hobbie," said the young gentleman, " I would
not perhaps inquire farther into this business; but as I am of opinion that
preternatural visitations are either ceased altogether, or become very rare
in our days, I am unwilling to leave a matter uninvestigated which may
concern the life of a poor distracted being."
"Aweel, aweel, if ye really think that," answered Hobbie doubtfully"And it's for certain the very fairies -I mean the very good neighbours
themsells (for they say folk suldna ca' them fairies) that used to be seen on
every green knowe at e'en, are no half sae often visible in our days. I canna
depone to having ever seen ane mysell, but I ance heard ane whistle ahint
me in the moss, as like a whaup m as ae thing could be like anither. And
* Curlew.