rgain, till the morn's morning?"

"It's even too true an apology, Maggie. Is your goodman off to sea this
morning, after his exertions last night?"

"In troth is he, Monkbarns; he was awa this morning by four o'clock,
when the sea was working like barm wi' yestreen's wind, and our bit
coble dancing in't like a cork."

"Well, he's an industrious fellow. Carry the fish up to Monkbarns."

"That I will--or I'll send little Jenny, she'll rin faster; but I'll ca'
on Miss Grizzy for the dram mysell, and say ye sent me."

A nondescript animal, which might have passed for a mermaid, as it was
paddling in a pool among the rocks, was summoned ashore by the shrill
screams of its dam; and having been made decent, as her mother called
it, which was performed by adding a short red cloak to a petticoat,
which was at first her sole covering, and which reached scantily below
her knee, the child was dismissed with the fish in a basket, and a
request on the part of Monkbarns that they might be prepared for dinner.
"It would have been long," said Oldbuck, with much self-complacency,
"ere my womankind could have made such a reasonable bargain with that
old skin-flint, though they sometimes wrangle with her for an hour
together under my study window, like three sea-gulls screaming
and sputtering in a gale of wind. But come, wend we on our way to
Knockwinnock."

CHAPTER TWELFTH.

Beggar?--the only freeman of your commonwealth;
Free above Scot-free, that observe no laws,
Obey no governor, use no religion
But what they draw from their own ancient custom,
Or constitute themselves, yet they are no rebels.
Brome.

With our reader's permission, we will outstep the slow, though sturdy
pace of the Antiquary, whose halts, as he, turned round to his companion
at every moment to point out something remarkable in the landscape, or
to enforce some favourite topic more emphatically than the exercise of
walking permitted, delayed their progress considerably.

Notwithstanding the fatigues and dangers of the preceding evening, Miss
Wardour was able to rise at her usual hour, and to apply herself to her
usual occupations, after she had first satisfied her anxiety concerning
her father's state of health. Sir Arthur was no farther indisposed than
by the effects of great agitation and unusual fatigue, but these were
sufficient to induce