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.

412 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
away among the cliffs. "I am glad she is gone," said one of the younger
persons who assisted. "I would as soon dress a corpse when the great
Fiend himself-God sain us-stood visibly before us, as when Elspat of the
Tree is amongst us.-Ay, ay, even overmuch intercourse hath she had with
the Enemy in her day."
" Silly woman," answered the female who had maintained the dialogue
with the departed Elspat, "thinkest thou that there is a worse fiend on
earth, or beneath it, than the pride and fury of an offended woman, like
yonder bloody-minded hag? Know that blood has been as familiar to her
as the dew to the mountain daisy. Many and many a brave man has she
caused to breathe their last for little wrong they had done to her or hers.
But her hough-sinews are cut, now that her wolf-burd must, like a murderer
as he is, make a murderer's end."
Whilst the women thus discoursed together, as they watched the corpse
of Allan Breack Cameron, the unhappy cause of his death pursued her
lonely way across the mountain. While she remained within sight of the
bothy, she put a strong constraint on herself, that by no alteration of pace
or gesture, she might afford to her enemies the triumph of calculating the
excess of her mental agitation, nay, despair. She stalked, therefore, with
a slow rather than a swift step, and, holding herself upright, seemed at
once to endure with firmness that wo which was passed, and bid defiance to
that which was about to come. But when she was beyond the sight of those
who remained in the hut, she could no longer suppress the extremity of her
agitation. Drawing her mantle wildly round her, she stopped at the first
knoll, and climbing to its summit, extended her arms up to the bright moon,
as if accusing heaven and earth for her misfortunes, and uttered scream ort
scream, like those of an eagle whose nest has been plundered of her brood.
Awhile she vented her grief in these inarticulate cries, then rushed on her
way with a hasty and unequal step, in the vain hope of overtaking the party
which was conveying her son a prisoner to Dunbarton. But her strength,
superhuman as it seemed, failed her in the trial, nor was it possible for her,
with her utmost efforts, to accomplish her purpose.
Yet she pressed onward, with all the speed which her exhausted frame
could exert. When food became indispensable, she entered the first cottage:
" Give me to eat," she said; " I am the widow of MacTavish Mhor-I am
the mother of Ilamish MacTavish Bean,- give me to eat, that I may once
more see my fair-haired son." Her demand was never refused, though
granted in many cases with a kind of struggle between compassion and
aversion in some of those to whom she applied, which was in others qualified by fear. The share she had had in occasioning the death of Allan
Breack Cameron, which must probably involve that of her own son, was
not accurately known; but, from a knowledge of her violent passions and
former habits of life, no one doubted that in one way or other she had been
the cause of the catastrophe; and Hamish Bean was considered, in the
slaughter which he had committed, rather as the instrument than as the
accomplice of his mother.
This general opinion of his countrymen was of little service to the unfortunate Hamish. As his captain, Green Colin, understood the manners and
habits of his country, he had no difficulty in collecting from Hamish the
particulars accompanying his supposed desertion, and the subsequent death
of the non-commissioned officer. He felt the utmost compassion for a youth,
who had thus fallen a victim to the extravagant and fatal fondness of a
parent. But he had no excuse to plead which could rescue his unhappy
recruit from the doom, which military discipline and the award of a courtmartial denounced against him for the crime he had committed.
No time had been lost in their proceedings, and as little was interposed
betwixt sentence and execution. General -- had determined to make a
severe example of the first deserter who should fall into his power, and here