rusting our sight, we thought it
most extraordinary that a man, considered to be dying in the morning,
should be seen in the evening on the highway, far from home.

"The steamboat being unusually late of arriving at her destination,
the sun had gone down, and the shades of night were closing over us
before half our journey by coach could be accomplished, still it was
not so dark when the figure of the pious minister appeared but that
one might not only see the figure of a man, but observe his every
feature. The sight struck all, who recognised in the traveller the
invalid minister with amazement, and some with fear. On the coach
arriving at the hotel, a messenger was despatched to inquire after the
reverend gentleman's health. The answer received disclosed the
startling intelligence that the clergyman had expired shortly before
the time we saw his figure walking with slow step and sad countenance
towards Loch Katrine."

* * * * *

But we now return to Sir Walter Scott's works. Those who have read the
_Monastery_ (and who have not?) may recollect of Dame Glendinning
telling Tibb what she had seen on a Hallowe'en in her youth--which was
as follows:--

"Aweel, aweel, I had mair joes than ane, but I favoured nane o' them;
and sae, at Hallowe'en, Father Nicolas the cellarer--he was cellarer
before his father, Father Clement, that now is--was cracking his nuts
and drinking his brown beer with us, and as blithe as might be, and
they would have me try a cantrip to ken wha suld wed me; and the monk
said there was nae ill in it, and if there was, he would assoil me for
it. And awa' I went into the barn to winnow my three weights o'
naething--sair, sair, my mind misgave me for fear of wrang-doing and
wrang-suffering, baith; but I had aye a bauld spirit. I had not
winnowed the last weight clear out, and the moon was shining bright
upon the floor, when in stalked the presence of my dear Simon
Glendinning, that is now happy. I never saw him plainer in my life
than I did that moment; he held up an arrow as he passed me, and I
swarf'd awa' wi' fright. Muckle wark there was to bring me to mysel'
again, and sair they tried to make me believe it was a trick o' Father
Nicolas and Simon between them, and that the arrow was to signify
Cupid's shaft, as the Father called it; and mony a time Simon wad
threep it to me after I was married--gude man, he liked not it suld be
said that he was seen out o' the body