ispered to him through the window, and the man in charge of Thomas swore
that she said she had been meeting with the devil according to his orders,
and that when she sained herself he had "vaniest away with ane rwmleng
(rumbling)." In the morning, too, before the old mother's conviction, "ane
ewill spreit in lyiknes of ane pyit (magpie)," went and struck the
youngest sister in her face, and would have picked out her eyes, but that
the neighbours to the fore dang the foul thief out of the room; and again,
on the day after conviction, and before execution, the devil came again as
ane kae (crow), and would have destroyed the youngest sister entirely had
he not been prevented: which two visitations were somehow hinged on to
Thomas, and included in the list of crimes for which he was adjudged
worthy of death.

Helen Fraser, of the same "coven," was a most dangerous witch. She had the
power to make men transfer their affections, no matter how good and
wholesome the wife deserted:--and she never spared her power. By her
charms she caused Andrew Tullideff to leave off loving his lawful wife and
take to Margaret Neilson instead: so that "he could never be reconceillit
with his wife, or remove his affection frae the said harlot;" and she made
Robert Merchant fall away from the duty owing to his wife, Christian
White, and transfer himself and his love to a certain widow, Isobel Bruce,
for whom he once went to sow corn, and fell so madly in love that he could
never quit the house or the widow's side again; "whilk thing the country
supposed to be brought about by the unlawful travelling of the said Helen;
"and was further _testified by Robert himself_," says Chambers
significantly. Helen Fraser was therefore burnt; and it is to be hoped
that the men returned to their lawful mates.

Isobel Cockie, who was burnt in company with Thomas Lee's mother, old
Jonet, meddled chiefly with cows and butter. She could forespeak them so
that they should give poison instead of milk, and the cream she had once
overlooked was never fit for the "yirning." Her landlord once offended her
by mending the roof of her house while she was from home, and Isobel, who
did not choose that her things should be pulled about in her absence, and
perhaps some of her cantrips discovered, "glowrit up at him, and said, 'I
sall gar thee forthink it that thow hast tirrit my hows, I being frae
hame.'" Whereupon Alexander Anderson went home sick and speechless, and
gat no r