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story； but there's something unco fulish…like intil't as weel。 I
canna say I think muckle 'o craturs 'at trible their heids aboot
their heids！But that's tellin' 'aforehan'！〃
Here the good woman paused thoughtful。
〃I am longing to hear your story； mistress Brookes；〃 said Donal；
supposing she needed encouragement。
〃I'm but thinkin' hoo to begin；〃 she returned； 〃sae as to gie ye a
richt haud o' the thing。I'm thinkin' I canna do better nor jist
tell 't as it cam to mysel'！Weel； ye see； I was but a yoong lass；
abootweel； I micht be twenty； mair or less； whan I gaed til the
place I speak o'。 It was awa' upo' the borders o' Wales； like as
gien folk ower there i' Perth war doobtfu' whether sic or sic a
place was i' the hielan's or the lowlan's。 The maister o' the hoose
was a yoong man awa' upo' 's traivels； I kenna whaursomewhaur upo'
the continent； but that's a mickle word； an' as he had the intention
o' bein' awa' for some time to come； no carin' to settle doon aff
han' an' luik efter his ain； there was but ane gey auld wuman to
hoosekeep； an' me to help her； an' a man or twa aboot the place to
luik efter the gairdenan' that was a'。 Hoose an' gairden was to
let； an' was intil the han's o' ane o' thae agents； as they ca'
them； for that same purposeto let； that is； for a term o' years。
Weel； ae day there cam a gentleman to luik at the place； an' he was
sae weel pleased wi' 'tas weel he micht； for eh； it was a bonny
place！aye lauchin' like； whaur this place is aye i' the
sulks！na； no aye！ I dinna mean that； my lady； forgettin' at it's
yours！but ye maun own it taks a heap o' sun to gar this auld hoose
here luik onything but some douran' I beg yer pardon； my lady！〃
〃You are quite right； mistress Brookes！〃 said Arctura with a smile。
〃If it were not for you it would be dour dour。You do not know； Mr。
Grantmistress Brookes herself does not know how much I owe her！ I
should have gone out of my mind for very dreariness a hundred times
but for her。〃
〃The short an' the lang o' 't was；〃 resumed mistress Brookes； 〃that
the place was let an' the place was ta'en； mickle to the
satisfaction o' a' pairties concernt。 The auld hoosekeeper； she
bein' a fixtur like； was to bide； an' I was to bide as weel； under
the hoosekeeper； an' haein' nothing to do wi' the stranger servan's。
〃They cam。 There was a gentleman o' a middle age； an' his leddy some
yoonger nor himsel'； han'some but no bonniebut that has naething
to do wi' my tale 'at I should tak up yer time wi' 't； an' it
growin' some late。〃
〃Never mind the time； mistress Brookes；〃 said Arctura； we can do
just as we please about that！ One time is as good as anotherisn't
it； Mr。 Grant？〃
〃I sometimes sit up half the night myself；〃 said Donal。 〃I like to
know God's night。 Only it won't do often； lest we make the brain；
which is God's too； like a watch that won't go。〃
〃It's sair upsettin' to the wark！〃 said the housekeeper。 〃What would
the house be like if I was to do that！〃
〃Do go on； please； mistress Brookes；〃 said Arctura。
〃Please do；〃 echoed Donal。
〃Sir； an' my lady； I'm ready to sit till the cock's be dune crawin'；
an' the day dune dawin'； to pleasur the ane or the twa o' ye！an'
sae for my true tale！They war varra dacent； weel…behavet fowk； wi'
a fine faimly； some grown an' some growin'。 It was jist a fawvour to
see sic a halesome clanfrae auchteen or thereawa' doon tu the wee
toddlin' lassie was the varra aipple o' the e'e to a' the e'en aboot
the place！ But that's naither here nor yet there！ A' gaed on as a'
should gang on whaur the servan's are no ower gran' for their ain
wark； nor ower meddlesome wi' the wark o' their neebours； naething
was negleckit； nor onything girned aboot； but a' was peace an'
hermony； as quo' the auld sang about out bonny Kilmenythat is；
till ae nicht。You see I'm tellin' ye as it cam' to mysel' an' no
til anither！
〃As I lay i' my bed that nichtan' ye may be sure at my age I lay
nae langer nor jist to turn me ower ance； an' in general no that
ancejist as I was fa'in' asleep； up gat sic a romage i' the
servan' ha'； straucht 'aneth whaur I was lyin'； that I thoucht to
mysel'； what upo' earth's come to the place！'Gien it bena the day
o' judgment； troth it's no the day o' sma' things！' I said。 It was
as gien a' the cheirs an' tables thegither war bein' routit oot o'
their places； an' syne set back again； an' the tables turnt heels
ower heid； an' a' the glaiss an' a' the plate for the denner knockit
aboot as gien they had been sae mony hailstanes that warna wantit
ony mair； but micht jist lie whaur they fell。 I couldna for the life
o' me think what it micht betoken； save an' excep' a general frenzy
had seized upo' man an' wuman i' the hoose！ I got up in a hurry：
whatever was gaein' on； I wudna wullin'ly gang wantin' my share o'
the sicht！ An' jist as I opened my door； wha should I hear but the
maister cryin' at the heid o' the stair；'What； i' the name o' a'
that's holy；' says he； 'is the meanin' o' this？' An' I ran til him；
oot o' the passage； an' through the swing…door； into the great
corridor； an' says I；''Deed； sir； I was won'erin'！ an' wi' yer
leave； sir； I'll gang an' see；' I said； gaitherin' my shawl aboot me
as weel as I could to hide what was 'aneth it； or raither what wasna
'aneth it； for I hadna that mickle on。 But says he； 'No； no； you
must not go； who knows what it may be？ I'll go myself。 They may be
robbers； and the men fighting them。 You stop where you are。' Sayin'
that； he was half…ways doon the stair。 I stood whaur I was； lookin'
doon an' hearkenin'； an' the noise still goin' on。 But he could but
hae won the len'th o' the hall； whan it stoppit a' at ance an'
a'thegither。 Ye may think what a din it maun hae been； whan I tell
ye the quaiet that cam upo' the heels o' 't jist seemed to sting my
twa lugs。 The same moment I h'ard the maister cryin' til me to come
doon。 I ran； an' whan I reached the servan's ha'； whaur he stood
jist inside the door； I stood aside him an' glowered。 For； wad ye
believe me！ the place was as dacent an' still as ony kirkyard i' the
munelicht！ There wasna a thing oot o' it's place； nor an air o'
dist； nor the sma'est disorder to be seen！ A' the things luikit as
gien they had sattlet themsel's to sleep as usual； an' had sleepit
till we cam an' waukit them。 The maister glowert at me； an' I
glowert at the maister。 But a' he said was；'A false alarm； ye see；
Rose！' What he thoucht I canna tell； but withoot anither word we
turnt； an' gaed up the stair again thegither。
〃At the tap o' the stair； the lang corridor ran awa' intil the dark
afore 's； for the can'le the maister carried flangna licht half to
the en' o' 't； an' frae oot o' the mirk on a suddent cam to meet 's
a rampaugin' an' a rattlin' like o' a score o' nowt rinnin' awa' wi'
their iron tethers aboot their neckssic a rattlin' o' iron chains
as ye never h'ard！ an' a groanin' an' a gruntin' jist fearsome。
Again we stood an' luikit at ane anither； an' my word！ but the
maister's face was eneuch to fricht a body o' 'tsel'； lat alane the
thing we h'ard an' saw naething til accoont for！ 'Gang awa' back to
yer bed； Rose；' he said； 'this'll never do！' 'An' hoo are ye to help
it； sir？' said I。 'That I cannot tell；' answered he； but I wouldn't
for the world your mistress heard it！ I left her fast asleep； and I
hope she'll sleep through it。Did you ever hear anything strange
about the house before we came？' 'Never； sir；' said I； 'as sure as I
stan' here shiverin'！'for the nicht was i' the simmer； an' warm to
that degree！ an' yet I was shiverin' as i' the cauld fit o' a
fivver； an' my moo' wud hardly consent to mak the words I soucht to
frame！
〃We stood like mice 'afore the cat for a minute or twa； but there
cam naething mair； an' by degrees we grew a kin' o' ashamet； like as
gien we had been doobtfu' as to whether we had h'ard onything； an'
whan again he said to me gang to my bed； I gaed to my bed； an' wasna
lang upo' the ro'd； for fear I wud hear onything mairan' intil my
bed； an' my heid 'aneth the claes； an' lay trim'lin'。 But there was
nane mair o' 't that nicht； an' I wasna ower sair owercome to fa'
asleep。
〃I' the mornin' I tellt the hoosekeeper a' aboot it； but she held
her tongue in a mainner that was； to say the least o' 't； varra
strange。 She didna lauch； nor she didna grue nor yet glower； nor yet
she didna say the thing was nonsense； but she jist h'ard an' h'ard
an' saidna a word。 I thoucht wi' mysel'； is't possible she disna
believe me？ but I couldna mak that oot aither。 Sae as she heild her
tongue； I jist pu'd the bridle o' mine； an' vooed there should be
never anither word said by me till ance she spak hersel'。 An' I wud
sune hae had eneuch o' haudin' my tongue； but I hadna to haud it to
onybody but her； an' I cam to the conclusion that she was feart o'
bein' speirt questons by them 'at had a richt to speir them； for
that she had h'ard o' something 'afore； an' kenned mair nor she was
at leeberty to speak aboot。
〃But that was only the beginnin'； an' little to what followed！ For
frae that nicht there was na ae nicht passed but some ane or twa
disturbit； an' whiles it was past a' bidin。' The noises； an' the
rum'lin's； an' abune a' t