"I did not say frighted, now--I only said mis-set wi' the thing

--And there was but ae bogle, neither--Earnscliff, ye saw it; as
weel as I did?"

And he proceeded, without very much exaggeration, to detail, in
his own way, the meeting they had with the mysterious being at

Mucklestane-Moor, concluding, he could not conjecture what on
earth it could be, unless it was either the Enemy himsell, or

some of the auld Peghts that held the country lang syne.
"Auld Peght!" exclaimed the grand-dame; "na, na--bless thee frae

scathe, my bairn, it's been nae Peght that--it's been the Brown
Man of the Moors! O weary fa' thae evil days!--what can evil

beings be coming for to distract a poor country, now it's
peacefully settled, and living in love and law--O weary on him!

he ne'er brought gude to these lands or the indwellers. My
father aften tauld me he was seen in the year o' the bloody fight

at Marston-Moor, and then again in Montrose's troubles, and again
before the rout o' Dunbar, and, in my ain time, he was seen about

the time o' Bothwell-Brigg, and they said the second-sighted
Laird of Benarbuck had a communing wi' him some time afore

Argyle's landing, but that I cannot speak to sae preceesely--it
was far in the west.--O, bairns, he's never permitted but in an

ill time, sae mind ilka ane o' ye to draw to Him that can help in
the day of trouble."

Earnscliff now interposed, and expressed his firm conviction that
the person they had seen was some poor maniac, and had no

commission from the visible" target="_blank" title="a.看不见的；无形的">invisible world to announce either war or
evil. But his opinion found a very cold audience, and all joined

to deprecate his purpose of returning to the spot the next day.
"O, my bonny bairn," said the old dame (for, in the kindness of

her heart, she extended her parental style to all in whom she was
interested)---"You should beware mair than other folk--there's

been a heavy breach made in your house wi' your father's
bloodshed, and wi' law-pleas, and losses sinsyne;--and you are

the flower of the flock, and the lad that will build up the auld
bigging again (if it be His will) to be an honour to the country,

and a safeguard to those that dwell in it--you, before others,
are called upon to put yoursell in no rash adventures--for yours

was aye ower venturesome a race, and muckle harm they have got by
it."

"But I am sure, my good friend, you would not have me be afraid
of going to an open moor in broad daylight?"

"I dinna ken," said the good old dame; "I wad never bid son or
friend o' mine haud their hand back in a gude cause, whether it

were a friend's or their ain--that should be by nae bidding of
mine, or of ony body that's come of a gentle kindred--But it

winna gang out of a grey head like mine, that to gang to seek for
evil that's no fashing wi' you, is clean against law and

Scripture."
Earnscliff resigned an argument which he saw no prospect of

maintaining with good effect, and the entrance of supper broke
off the conversation. Miss Grace had by this time made her

appearance, and Hobbie, not without a conscious glance at
Earnscliff, placed himself by her side. Mirth and lively

conversation, in which the old lady of the house took the good-
humoured share which so well becomes old age, restored to the

cheeks of the damsels the roses which their brother's tale of the
apparition had chased away, and they danced and sung for an hour

after supper as if there were no such things as goblins in the
world.

CHAPTER IV.
I am Misanthropos, and hate mankind;

For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog,
That I might love thee something. TIMON OF ATHENS

On the following morning, after breakfast, Earnscliff took leave
of his hospitable friends, promising to return in time to partake

of the venison, which had arrived from his house. Hobbie, who
apparently took leave of him at the door of his habitation, slunk

out, however, and joined him at the top of the hill.
"Ye'll be gaun yonder, Mr. Patrick; feind o' me will mistryst you

for a' my mother says. I thought it best to slip out quietly
though, in case she should mislippen something of what we're gaun

to do--we maunna vex her at nae rate--it was amaist the last word
my father said to me on his deathbed."

"By no means, Hobbie," said Earnscliff; "she well merits all your
attention."

"Troth, for that matter, she would be as sair vexed amaist for
you as for me. But d'ye really think there's nae presumption in

venturing back yonder?--We hae nae special commission, ye ken."
"If I thought as you do, Hobbie," said the young gentleman, "I

would not perhaps enquire farther into this business; but as I am
of opinion that preternatural visitations are either ceased

altogether, or become very rare in our days, I am willing" target="_blank" title="a.不愿意的；不情愿的">unwilling to
leave a matter uninvestigated which may concern the life of a

poor distracted being."
"Aweel, aweel, if ye really think that," answered Hobbie

doubtfully--"And it's for certain the very fairies--I mean the
very good neighbours themsells (for they say folk suldna ca' them

fairies) that used to be seen on every green knowe at e'en, are
no half sae often visible in our days. I canna depone to having

ever seen ane mysell, but, I ance heard ane whistle ahint me in
the moss, as like a whaup [Curlew] as ae thing could be like

anither. And mony ane my father saw when he used to come hame
frae the fairs at e'en, wi' a drap drink in his head, honest

man."
Earnscliff was somewhat entertained with the gradual declension

of superstition from one generation to another which was inferred
In this last observation; and they continued to reason on such

subjects, until they came in sight of the upright stone which
gave name to the moor.

"As I shall answer," says Hobbie, "yonder's the creature creeping
about yet!--But it's daylight, and you have your gun, and I

brought out my bit whinger--I think we may venture on him."
"By all manner of means," said Earnscliff; "but, in the name of

wonder, what can he be doing there?"
"Biggin a dry-stane dyke, I think, wi' the grey geese, as they

ca' thae great loose stanes--Odd, that passes a' thing I e'er
heard tell of!"

As they approached nearer, Earnscliff could not help agreeing
with his companion. The figure they had seen the night before

seemed slowly and toilsomely labouring to pile the large stones
one upon another, as if to form a small enclosure. Materials lay

around him in great plenty, but the labour of carrying on the
work was immense, from the size of most of the stones; and it

seemed astonishing that he should have succeeded in moving
several which he had already arranged for the foundation of his

edifice. He was struggling to move a fragment of great size when
the two young men came up, and was so intent upon executing his

purpose, that he did not perceive them till they were close upon
him. In straining and heaving at the stone, in order to place it

according to his wish, he displayed a degree of strength which
seemed utterly inconsistent with his size and apparentdeformity.

Indeed, to judge from the difficulties he had already surmounted,
he must have been of Herculean powers; for some of the stones he

had succeeded in raising apparently required two men's strength
to have moved them. Hobbie's suspicions began to revive, on

seeing the preternatural strength he exerted.
"I am amaist persuaded it's the ghaist of a stane-mason--see

siccan band-statnes as he's laid i--An it be a man, after a', I
wonder what he wad take by the rood to build a march dyke.

There's ane sair wanted between Cringlehope and the Shaws.--
Honest man" (raising his voice), "ye make good firm wark there?"