o high banks, which, rising to a considerable
height, commanded at length an extensive view of the neighbouring
country.

Hazlewood was, however, so far from eagerly looking forward to this
prospect, though it had the recommendation that great part of the land
was his father's, and must necessarily be his own, that his head still
turned backward towards the chimneys of Woodbourne, although at every
step his horse made the difficulty of employing his eyes in that
direction become greater. From the reverie in which he was sunk he was
suddenly roused by a voice, too harsh to be called female, yet too shrill
for a man: 'What's kept you on the road sae lang? Maun ither folk do your
wark?'

He looked up. The spokeswoman was very tall, had a voluminous
handkerchief rolled round her head, grizzled hair flowing in elf-locks
from beneath it, a long red cloak, and a staff in her hand, headed with a
sort of spear-point; it was, in short, Meg Merrilies. Hazlewood had never
seen this remarkable figure before; he drew up his reins in astonishment
at her appearance, and made a full stop. 'I think,' continued she, 'they
that hae taen interest in the house of Ellangowan suld sleep nane this
night; three men hae been seeking ye, and you are gaun hame to sleep in
your bed. D' ye think if the lad-bairn fa's, the sister will do weel? Na,
na!'

'I don't understand you, good woman,' said Hazlewood. 'If you speak of
Miss---, I mean of any of the late Ellangowan family, tell me what I can
do for them.'

'Of the late Ellangowan family?' she answered with great vehemence--'of
the LATE Ellangowan family! and when was there ever, or when will there
ever be, a family of Ellangowan but bearing the gallant name of the bauld
Bertrams?'

'But what do you mean, good woman?'

'I am nae good woman; a' the country kens I am bad eneugh, and baith they
and I may be sorry eneugh that I am nae better. But I can do what good
women canna, and daurna do. I can do what would freeze the blood o' them
that is bred in biggit wa's for naething but to bind bairns' heads and to
hap them in the cradle. Hear me: the guard's drawn off at the
custom-house at Portanferry, and it's brought up to Hazlewood House by
your father's orders, because he thinks his house is to be attacked this
night by the smugglers. There's naebody means to touch his house; he has
gude blood and gentle blood--I say little o' him for himsell--but there's
naebody thinks him worth meddling wi'. S