“True enough, sir; but indeed it was little the cowld, or sleet, or frost, troubled me.”

“Yes, God help you, I can believe that too—­for I understand the cause of it too well—­but have hope—­Katty, what was that you gave her?”

“A mouthful of warm milk, your reverence, to put the cowld out of her heart.”

“Ah, Katty, I wish we could put sorrow and affliction out of it—­but you did well and right in the meantime; still you must do better, Katty, lend her your cloak—­and your shoes and stockings too, poor thing!”

“I’m oblaged to your reverence,” she replied, “but indeed I won’t feel the want of them; as I said, there’s only one thought that I am suffering about—­and that is, for your reverence to see my husband before he departs.”

“Yes—­but the consequences of this cold and bitter journey may fall upon you at another time—­and before long, too—­so be advised by me, and don’t refuse to take them.”

“It’s not aisy to do that, sir,” she replied with a faint smile, for as she spoke, his servant had the cloak already about her shoulders; “it appears,” she continued, “that this kind woman must have her will and way in everything.”

“To be sure I will,” said Katty, “espishially in everything that’s right, any how—­come here now, and while his reverence is getting his staff and mittens in the room above, I’ll help you on with the shoes and stockings.  Now,” she added, in one of those touching and irresistible whispers that are produced by kindness and not by secrecy, “if anything happens—­as God forbid there should—­but if anything does happen, keep these till afther everything is over.  Before strangers you know one wouldn’t like to appear too bare, if they could help it.”

The tone in which these words were spoke could not fail in at once reaching the poor woman’s heart.  She wept as much from gratitude as the gloomy alternative involved in Katty’s benevolent offer.

“God bless you,” she exclaimed, “but I trust in the Almighty, there may be hope and that they won’t be wanted.  Still, how can I hope when I think of the way he’s in?  But God is good, blessed be his holy name!”

So saying, the priest came down,and they both set out on their bleak and desolate journey.

The natural aspect of the surrounding country was in good keeping with the wild and stormy character of the morning.  Before them, in the back ground, rose a magnificent range of mountains, whose snowy peaks were occasionally seen far above the dusky clouds which drifted rapidly across their bosoms.  The whole landscape, in fact, teemed with a spirit of savage grandeur.  Many of the glens on each side were deep and precipitous, where rock beetled over rock, and ledge projected over ledge, in a manner so fearful that the mind of the spectator, excited and rapt into terror by the contemplation of them, wondered why they did not long ago tumble into the chasm beneath, so slight was their apparent support.