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manthey were rough times thosetold him they wanted nothing he
could give them； and to go about his business。 But the man； who was
something obstinate； I dare say； and； it may weel be； anxious to get
shelter； as much for the nicht bein' gurly as to sell his goods；
keepit on beggin' an' implorin' to lat the women…folk at the least
luik at what he had broucht。 At last the butler； oot o' a' patience
wi' the man； ga'e him a great shove awa' frae the door； sae that the
poor man fell doon the steps； an' bangt the door to； nor ever lookit
to see whether the man gat up again or no。
〃'I' the mornin' the pedlar they faund him lyin' deid in a little
wud or shaw； no far frae the hoose。 An' wi' that up got the cry； an'
what said they but that the butler had murdert him！ Sae up he was
ta'en an' put upo' 's trial for't。 An' whether the man was not likit
i' the country…side； I cannot tell；' said the gentleman； 'but the
cry was against him； and things went the wrong way for himand that
though no one aboot the hoose believed he had done the deed； more
than he micht hae caused his death by pushin' him doon the steps。
An' even that he could hardly have intendit； but only to get quit o'
him； an' likely enough the man was weak； perhaps ill； an' the weicht
o' his pack on his back pulled him as he pushed。' Still； efter an'
a'an' its mysel' 'at's sayin' this； no the gentleman； my ladyin
a pairt o' the country like that； gey an' lanely； it was not the
nicht to turn a fallow cratur oot in！ 'The butler was； at the same
time； an old and trusty servan'；' said Mr。 Heywood； 'an' his master
was greatly concernt aboot the thing。 It is impossible at this time
o' day；' he said； 'to un'erstan' hoo such a thing could bei' the
total absence o' direc' evidence； but the short an' the weary lang
o' 't was； that the man was hangt； an' hung in irons for the deed。
〃'An' noo ye may be thinkin' the ghaist o' the puir pedlar began to
haunt the hoose； but naething o' the kin'！ There was nae disturbance
o' that； or ony ither sort。 The man was deid an' buried； whaever did
or didna kill him； an' the body o' him that was said to hae killed
him； hung danglin' i' the win'； an' naither o' them said a word for
or again the thing。
〃'But the hert o' the man's maister was sair。 He couldna help aye
thinkin' that maybe he was to blame； an' micht hae done something
mair nor he thoucht o' at the time to get the puir man aff； for he
was absolutely certain that； hooever rouch he micht hae been； an'
hooever he micht hae been the cause o' deith to the troublesome
pedlar； he hadna meant to kill him； it was； in pairt at least； an
accident； an' he thoucht the hangin' o' 'im for 't was hard lines。
The maister was an auld man； nearhan' auchty； an' tuik things the
mair seriously； I daursay； that he wasna that far frae the grave
they had sent the puir butler til afore his timegien that could be
said o' ane whause grave was wi' the weather…cock！ An' aye he tuik
himsel' to task as to whether he ouchtna to hae dune something
mairgane to the king maybefor he couldna bide the thoucht o' the
puir man that had waitit upon him sae lang an' faithfu'； hingin' an'
swingin' up there； an' the flesh drappin' aff the banes o' 'im； an'
still the banes hingin' there； an' swingin' an' creakin' an' cryin'！
The thoucht； I say； was sair upo' the auld man。 But the time passed；
an' I kenna hoo lang or hoo short it may tak for a body in sic a
position to come asun'er； but at last the banes began to drap； an'
as they drappit； there they layat the fut o' the gallows； for
naebody caret to meddle wi' them。 An' whan that cam to the knowledge
o' the auld gentleman； he sent his fowk to gether them up an' bury
them oot o' sicht。 An' what was left o' the body； the upper pairt；
hauden thegither wi' the irons； maybeI kenna weel hoo； hung an'
swung there still； in ilk win' that blew。 But at the last； oot o'
sorrow； an' respec' for the deid； hooever he dee'd； his auld maister
sent quaietly ae mirk nicht； an' had the lave o' the banes taen doon
an' laid i' the earth。
〃'But frae that moment； think ye there was ony peace i' the hoose？ A
clankin' o' chains got up； an' a howlin'； an' a compleenin' an' a
creakin' like i' the win'sic a stramash a'thegither； that the
hoose was no fit to be leevit in whiles； though it was sometimes
waur nor ither times； an' some thoucht it had to do wi' the airt the
win' blew： aboot that I ken naething。 But it gaed on like that for
months； maybe years；'Mr。 Harper wasna sure hoo lang the gentleman
said'till the auld man 'maist wished himsel' in o' the grave an'
oot o' the trouble。
〃'At last ae day cam an auld man to see himno sae auld as himsel'；
but ane he had kenned whan they wur at the college thegither。 An'
this was a man that had travelled greatly； an' was weel learnt in a
heap o' things ordinar' fowk； that gies themsel's to the lan'； an'
the growin' o' corn； an' beasts； ir no likely to ken mickle aboot。
He saw his auld freen' was in trouble； an' didna carry his age
calm…like as was nat'ral； an' sae speirt him what was the matter。
An' he told him the whole story； frae the hangin' to the bangin'。
〃Weel；〃 said the learnit man； whan he had h'ard a'； 〃gien ye'll tak
my advice； ye'll jist sen' an' howk up the heid； an' tak it intil
the hoose wi' ye； an' lat it bide there whaur it was used sae lang
to be；do that； an' it's my opinion ye'll hear nae mair o' sic
unruly gangin's on。〃 The auld gentleman tuik the advice； kennin' no
better。 But it was the richt advice； for frae that moment the romour
was ower； they had nae mair o' 't。 They laid the heid in a decent
bit box i' the cellar； an' there it remaint； weel content there to
abide the day o' that jeedgment that'll set mony anither jeedgment
to the richt…aboot； though what pleesur could be intil that cellar
mair nor intil a hole i' the earth； is a thing no for me to say！ So
wi' that generation there was nae mair trouble。
〃'But i' the coorse o' time cam first ane an' syne anither； wha
forgot； maybe leuch at； the haill affair； an' didna believe a word
o' the same。 But they're but fules that gang again the experrience
o' their forbeirs！what wud ye hae but they wud beery the heid！ An'
what wud come o' that but an auld dismay het up again！ Up gat the
din； the rampaugin'； the clankin'； an' a'； jist the same as 'afore！
But the minute that； frichtit at the consequences o' their folly；
they acknowledged the property o' the ghaist in his ain heid； an'
tuik it oot o' the earth an' intil the hoose again； a' was quaiet
direc'lyquaiet as hert could desire。'
〃Sae that was the story！
〃An' whan the lunch was ower； an' Mr。 Harper was thinkin' the moment
come whan they would order him to tak the heid； an' him trimlin' at
the thoucht o' touchin' 't； an' lay't whaur it wasan' whaur it had
sae aften been whan it had a sowl intil 't； the gentleman got up；
an' says he til him； 'Be so good；' says he； 'as fetch me my hat…box
from the hall。' Harper went an' got it as desired； an' the gentleman
took an' unlockit it； an' roon' he turnt whaur he stood； an' up he
tuik the skull frae the chimley…piece； neither as gien he lo'ed it
nor feared itas what reason had he to do either？an' han'let it
neither rouchly； nor wi' ony show o' mickle care； but intil the
hat…box it gaed； willy； nilly； an' the lid shutten doon upo' 't； an'
the key turnt i' the lock o' 't； an' as gien he wad mak the thing
richt sure o' no bein' putten again whaur it had sic an objection to
gang； up he tuik in his han' the hat…box； an' the contrairy heid i'
the inside o' 't； an' awa' wi' him on his traivels； here awa' an'
there awa' ower the face o' the globe： he was on his w'y to Spain；
he said； at the moment； an' we saw nae mair o' him nor the heid； nor
h'ard ever a soon' mair o' clankin'； nor girnin'； nor ony ither
oonholy din。
〃An' that's the trowth； mak o' 't what ye like； my leddy an' maister
Grant！〃
Mistress Brookes was silent； and for some time not a syllable was
uttered by either listener。 At last Donal spoke。
〃It is a strange story； mistress Brookes；〃 he said； 〃and the
stranger that it would show some of the inhabitants of the other
world apparently as silly after a hundred and fifty years as when
first they arrived there。〃
〃I can say naething anent that； sir；〃 answered mistress Brookes；
〃I'm no accoontable for ony inference 'at's to be drawn frae my ower
true tale； an' doobtless； sir； ye ken far better nor me；but whaur
ye see sae mony folk draw oot the threid o' a lang life； an' never
ae sensible thing； that they could help； done or said； what for
should ye won'er gien noo an' than ane i' the ither warl' shaw
himsel' siclike。 Whan ye consider the heap o' folk that dees； an'
hoo there maun be sae mony mair i' the ither warl' nor i' this； I
confess for my pairt I won'er mair 'at we're left at peace at a'；
an' that they comena swarmin' aboot 's i' the nicht； like black
doos。 Ye'll maybe say they canna； an' ye'll maybe say they come； but
sae lang as they plague me nae waur nor oor freen' upo' the tither
side o' the wa'； I canna say I care that mickle。 But I think whiles
hoo thae ghaists maun lauch at them that lauchs as gien there was
nae sic craturs i' the warl'！ For my pair