“Whisht, sir!—­whisht, and let me speak just ae word that I couldna say afore folk; there (putting into his lord’s hand the money he had just received)—­there’s three gowd pieces; and ye’ll want siller up-bye yonder.  But stay, whisht, now!” for the Master was beginning to exclaim against this transference, “never say a word, but just see to get them changed in the first town ye ride through, for they are bran new frae the mint, and ken-speckle a wee bit.”

“You forget, Caleb,” said his master, striving to force back the money on his servant, and extricate the bridle from his hold—­“you forget that I have some gold pieces left of my own.  Keep these to yourself, my old friend; and, once more, good day to you.  I assure you, I have plenty.  You know you have managed that our living should cost us little or nothing.”

“Aweel,” said Caleb, “these will serve for you another time; but see ye hae eneugh, for, doubtless, for the credit of the family, there maun be some civility to the servants, and ye maun hae something to mak a show with when they say, ‘Master, will you bet a broad piece?’ Then ye maun tak out your purse, and say, ‘I carena if I do’; and tak care no to agree on the articles of the wager, and just put up your purse again, and——­”

“This is intolerable, Caleb; I really must be gone.”

“And you will go, then?” said Caleb, loosening his hold upon the Master’s cloak, and changing his didactics into a pathetic and mournful tone—­“and you will go, for a’ I have told you about the prophecy, and the dead bride, and the Kelpie’s quicksand?  Aweel! a wilful man maun hae his way:  he that will to Cupar maun to Cupar.  But pity of your life, sir, if ye be fowling or shooting in the Park, beware of drinking at the Mermaiden’s Well—­He’s gane! he’s down the path arrow-flight after her!  The head is as clean taen aff the Ravenswood family this day as I wad chap the head aff a sybo!”

The old butler looked long after his master, often clearing away the dew as it rose to his eyes, that he might, as long as possible, distinguish his stately form from those of the other horsemen.  “Close to her bridle-rein—­ay, close to her bridle-rein!  Wisely saith the holy man, ‘By this also you may know that woman hath dominion over all men’; and without this lass would not our ruin have been a’thegither fulfilled.”

With a heart fraught with such sad auguries did Caleb return to his necessary duties at Wofl’s Crag, as soon as he could no longer distinguish the object of his anxiety among the group fo riders, which diminished in the distance.