conclusion of the
extraordinary scene; and when the last light had disappeared, he
deliberately dismounted, led his horse into the stable, put him up,
entered the house without disturbing any one, and slipped quietly into
bed, trusting that the morning would bring some explanation of the
mysterious occurrence of the night; but resolving, at the same time
that, if it should not, he would mention the circumstance to no one.

On awaking in the morning, M'Pherson asked his wife what strangers were
in the house, and how they were disposed of, and particularly, who it
was that slept in the loft of the outhouse. He was told that it was a
woman in widow's dress, of rather a respectable appearance, but whose
conduct had been very singular. M'Pherson inquired no further, but
desired that the woman might be detained till he should see her, as he
wished to speak with her.

On some one of the domestics, however, going up to her apartment,
shortly after, to invite her to breakfast, it was found that she was
gone, no one could tell when or where, as her departure had not been
seen by any person about the house.

Baulked in his intention of eliciting some explanation of the
extraordinary circumstance of the preceding night, from the person who
seemed to have been a party to it, M'Pherson became more strengthened
in the resolution of keeping the secret to himself, although it made an
impression upon him which all his natural strength of mind could not
remove.

At this precise period of our story, M'Pherson had three sons employed
in the herring fishing, a favourite pursuit in its season, because often
a lucrative one, of those who live upon or near the coasts of the West
Highlands.

The three brothers had a boat of their own; and, desirous of making
their employment as profitable as possible, they, though in sufficiently
good circumstances to have hired assistance, manned her themselves, and,
with laudable industry, performed all the drudgery of their laborious
occupation with their own hands.

Their boat, like all the others employed in the business we are speaking
of, by the natives of the Highlands, was wherry-rigged; her name--she
was called after the betrothed of the elder of the three brothers--_The
Catherine_. The _take_ of herrings, as it is called, it is well known,
appears in different seasons in different places, sometimes in one loch,
or arm of the sea, sometimes in another.

In the season to which our story refers,