Page:Walter Scott - The Monastery (Henry Frowde, 1912).djvu/102

RV 34 (Rh) your leddy ay do reading out o' that thick black book wi' the silver clasps? there are ower mony gude words in it to come frae ony body but a priest. An it were about Robin Hood, or some o' David Lindsay's ballants, ane wad ken better what to say to it. I am no misdoubting your mistress nae way, but I wad like ill to hae a decent house haunted wi' ghaists and gyre-carlines.'

'Ye hae nae reason to doubt my leddy, or ony thing she says or does, Dame Glendinning,' said the faithful Tibb, something offended; 'and touching the bairn, it's well kend she was born on Hallowe'en, was nine years gane, and they that are born on Hallowe'en whiles see mair than ither folk.'

'And that wad be the cause, then, that the bairn didna mak muckle din about what it saw? If it had been my Halbert himself, forby Edward, who is of softer nature, he wad hae yammered the haill night of a constancy. But it 's like Mistress Mary hae sic sights mair natural to her.'

'That may weel be,' said Tibb; 'for on Hallowe'en she was born, as I tell ye, and our auld parish priest wad fain hae had the night ower, and All-Hallow day begun. But for a' that, the sweet bairn is just like ither bairns, as ye may see yourself; and except this blessed night, and ance before when we were in that weary bog on the road here, I kenna that it saw mair than ither folk.'

'But what saw' she in the bog, then,' said Dame Glendinning, 'forby moor-cocks and heather-blutters?'

'The wean saw sometlung like a white leddy that weised us the gate,' said Tibb; 'when we were like to hae perished in the moss-hags; certain it was that Shagram reisted, and I ken Martin thinks he saw something.'

'And what might the white leddy be?' said Elspeth; 'have ye ony guess o' that?'

'It 's well kend that, Dame Elspeth,' said Tibb; 'if ye had lived under grit folk, as I hae dune, ye wadna be to seek in that matter.'

'I hae ay keepit my ain ha' house abune my head,' said Elspeth, not without emphasis, 'and if I havena lived wi' grit folk, grit folk have lived wi' me.'

'Weel, weel, dame,' said Tibb, 'your pardon 's prayed,