, sir," said she, unmoved. "Is it a deeth?" added she,
quietly.

"It is!--death, sudden and terrible; in your own house I must tell it
you--(and may God show me how to break it to her)."

He entered her house.

"Aweel," said the woman to the others, "it maun be some far-awa cousin,
or the like, for Liston an' me hae nae near freends. Meg, ye idle
fuzzy," screamed she to her servant, who was one of the spectators,
"your pat is no on yet; div ye think the men will no be hungry when they
come in fra' the sea?"

"They will never hunger nor thirst ony mair," said Jean, solemnly, as
the bereaved woman entered her own door.

There ensued a listless and fearful silence.

Every moment some sign of bitter sorrow was expected to break forth from
the house, but none came; and amid the expectation and silence the waves
dashed louder and louder, as it seemed, against the dike, conscious of
what they had done.

At last, in a moment, a cry of agony arose, so terrible that all who
heard it trembled, and more than one woman shrieked in return, and fled
from the door, at which, the next moment, the clergyman stood alone,
collected, but pale, and beckoned. Several women advanced.

"One woman," said he.

Jean Carnie was admitted; and after a while returned.

"She is come to hersel'," whispered she; "I am no weel mysel'." And she
passed into her own house.

Then Flucker crept to the door to see.

"Oh, dinna spy on her," cried Christie.

"Oh, yes, Flucker," said many voices.

"He is kneelin'," said Flucker. "He has her hand, to gar her kneel
tae--she winna--she does na see him, nor hear him; he will hae her. He
has won her to kneel--he is prayin, an' greetin aside her. I canna see
noo, my een's blinded."

"He's a gude mon," said Christie. "Oh, what wad we do without the
ministers?"

Sandy Liston had been leaning sorrowfully against the wall of the next
house; he now broke out:

"An auld shipmate at the whale-fishing!!! an' noow we'll never lift the
dredging sang thegither again, in yon dirty detch that's droowned him; I
maun hae whisky, an' forget it a'."

He made for the spirit-shop like a madman; but ere he could reach
the door a hand was laid on him like a vise. Christie Johnstone had
literally sprung on him. She hated this horrible vice--had often checked
him; and now it seemed so awful a moment for such a sin, that she forgot
the wild and savage nature of the man, who had struck his own sister,
and seriously hurt