CHAPTER IV.

     I am Misanthropos, and hate mankind;
     For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog,
     That I might love thee something.—­Timon of Athens

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, Hobbie,” 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 enquire 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 [Curlew] as ae thing could be like anither.  And mony ane my father saw when he used to come hame frae the fairs at e’en, wi’ a drap drink in his head, honest man.”

Earnscliff was somewhat entertained with the gradual declension of superstition from one generation to another which was inferred In this last observation; and they continued to reason on such subjects, until they came in sight of the upright stone which gave name to the moor.

“As I shall answer,” says Hobbie, “yonder’s the creature creeping about yet!—­But it’s daylight, and you have your gun, and I brought out my bit whinger—­I think we may venture on him.”

“By all manner of means,” said Earnscliff; “but, in the name of wonder, what can he be doing there?”

“Biggin a dry-stane dyke, I think, wi’ the grey geese, as they ca’ thae great loose stanes—­Odd, that passes a’ thing I e’er heard tell of!”