cried as if it was
mocking its master. My gudesire's head was like to turn; he forgot
baith siller and receipt, and downstairs he banged; but, as he ran,
the shrieks came fainter and fainter; there was a deep-drawn shivering
groan, and word gaed through the castle that the laird was dead.

Weel, away came my gudesire wi' his finger in his mouth, and his best
hope was that Dougal had seen the money-bag and heard the laird speak of
writing the receipt. The young laird, now Sir John, came from Edinburgh
to see things put to rights. Sir John and his father never 'greed weel.
Sir John had been bred an advocate, and afterward sat in the last Scots
Parliament and voted for the Union, having gotten, it was thought, a rug
of the compensations--if his father could have come out of his grave he
would have brained him for it on his awn hearthstane. Some thought it
was easier counting with the auld rough knight than the fair-spoken
young ane--but mair of that anon.

Dougal MacCallum, poor body, neither grat nor graned, but gaed about
the house looking like a corpse, but directing, as was his duty, a' the
order of the grand funeral. Now Dougal looked aye waur and waur when
night was coming, and was aye the last to gang to his bed, whilk was
in a little round just opposite the chamber of dais, whilk his master
occupied while he was living, and where he now lay in state, as they
can'd it, weeladay! The night before the funeral Dougal could keep his
awn counsel nae longer; he came doun wi' his proud spirit, and fairly
asked auld Hutcheon to sit in his room with him for an hour. When they
were in the round, Dougal took a tass of brandy to himsell, and gave
another to Hutcheon, and wished him all health and lang life, and said
that, for himsell, he wasna lang for this warld; for that every night
since Sir Robert's death his silver call had sounded from the state
chamber just as it used to do at nights in his lifetime to call Dougal
to help to turn him in his bed. Dougal said that being alone with the
dead on that floor of the tower (for naebody cared to wake Sir Robert
Redgauntlet like another corpse), he had never daured to answer the
call, but that now his conscience checked him for neglecting his duty;
for, "though death breaks service," said MacCallum, "it shall never weak
my service to Sir Robert; and I will answer his next whistle, so be you
will stand by me, Hutcheon."

Hutcheon had nae will to the wark, but he had stood by Douga