‘Troth, gudewife, just ane o’ thae writer chields that buys a’ thing; they ca’ him Glossin, I think.’

’Glossin!  Gibbie Glossin! that I have carried in my creels a hundred times, for his mother wasna muckle better than mysell—­he to presume to buy the barony of Ellangowan!  Gude be wi’ us; it is an awfu’ warld!  I wished him ill; but no sic a downfa’ as a’ that neither.  Wae’s me! wae’s me to think o’t!’ She remained a moment silent but still opposing with her hand the farmer’s retreat, who betwixt every question was about to turn his back, but good-humouredly stopped on observing the deep interest his answers appeared to excite.

’It will be seen and heard of—­earth and sea will not hold their peace langer!  Can ye say if the same man be now the sheriff of the county that has been sae for some years past?’

’Na, he’s got some other birth in Edinburgh, they say; but gude day, gudewife, I maun ride.’  She followed him to his horse, and, while he drew the girths of his saddle, adjusted the walise, and put on the bridle, still plied him with questions concerning Mr. Bertram’s death and the fate of his daughter; on which, however, she could obtain little information from the honest farmer.

‘Did ye ever see a place they ca’ Derncleugh, about a mile frae the Place of Ellangowan?’

‘I wot weel have I, gudewife.  A wild-looking den it is, wi’ a whin auld wa’s o’ shealings yonder; I saw it when I gaed ower the ground wi’ ane that wanted to take the farm.’

‘It was a blythe bit ance!’ said Meg, speaking to herself.  ’Did ye notice if there was an auld saugh tree that’s maist blawn down, but yet its roots are in the earth, and it hangs ower the bit burn?  Mony a day hae I wrought my stocking and sat on my sunkie under that saugh.’

‘Hout, deil’s i’ the wife, wi’ her saughs, and her sunkies, and Ellangowans.  Godsake, woman, let me away; there’s saxpence t’ ye to buy half a mutchkin, instead o’ clavering about thae auld-warld stories.’

‘Thanks to ye, gudeman; and now ye hae answered a’ my questions, and never speired wherefore I asked them, I’ll gie you a bit canny advice, and ye maunna speir what for neither.  Tib Mumps will be out wi’ the stirrup-dram in a gliffing.  She’ll ask ye whether ye gang ower Willie’s Brae or through Conscowthart Moss; tell her ony ane ye like, but be sure (speaking low and emphatically) to tak the ane ye dinna tell her.’  The farmer laughed and promised, and the gipsy retreated.

‘Will you take her advice?’ said Brown, who had been an attentive listener to this conversation.

’That will I no, the randy quean!  Na, I had far rather Tib Mumps kenn’d which way I was gaun than her, though Tib’s no muckle to lippen to neither, and I would advise ye on no account to stay in the house a’ night.’

In a moment after Tib, the landlady, appeared with her stirrup-cup, which was taken off.  She then, as Meg had predicted, inquired whether he went the hill or the moss road.  He answered, the latter; and, having bid Brown good-bye, and again told him, ’he depended on seeing him at Charlie’s Hope, the morn at latest,’ he rode off at a round pace.