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Rh "Dead!"—said the old woman, dropping her pipe, rising and coming forward upon the floor—dead!"—are ye sure of that?"

"Troth, am I," said Dinmonl, "for it made nae sma' noise in the country-side. He died just at the roup of the stocking and furniture; it stoppit the roup, and mony folk were disappointed. They said he was the last of an auld family too, and mony were sorry—for gude blude's scarcer in Scotland than it has been."

"Dead!" replied the old woman, whom our readers have already recognised as their acquaintance Meg Merrilies—"dead! that quits a' scores. And did ye say he died without an heir?"

"Aye, did he, gudewife, and the estate's selled by the same token; for they said, they could nae have selled it, if there had been an heir-male."

"Sold!" echoed the gypsy, with something like a scream, "and wha durst buy Ellangowan that was not of Bertram's