The Black Dwarf [15]
as he spoke thus, and Earnscliff observed that he held out his right hand armed with some weapon of offence, which glittered in the cold ray like the blade of a long knife, or the barrel of a pistol. It would have been madness to persevere in his attempt upon a being thus armed, and holding such desperate language, especially as it was plain he would have little aid from his companion, who had fairly left him to settle matters with the apparition as he could, and had proceeded a few paces on his way homeward. Earnscliff, however, turned and followed Hobbie, after looking back towards the supposed maniac, who, as if raised to frenzy by the interview, roamed wildly around the great stone, exhausting his voice in shrieks and imprecations, that thrilled wildly along the waste heath.
The two sportsmen moved on some time in silence, until they were out 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 Hobbie 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 at 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 high-school of Edinburgh, and got a' sort o' lair where it was to be best gotten--will 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
The two sportsmen moved on some time in silence, until they were out 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 Hobbie 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 at 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 high-school of Edinburgh, and got a' sort o' lair where it was to be best gotten--will 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