tor
himself, at the same moment that his head appeared at the window.

"Here we are, sir," replied Copus, "half-dead with fear and hunger,
and yet can't get into our own house for love or money."

"I'll open the door myself," said the chieftain, and putting for the
nonce his newly acquired dignity into his pocket, he waddled through
the blustering passages, and turned the key with his own hand.

"And this, then, is Ben-na-Groich Castle," sighed Miss Alice, as at
length she entered the parlour, leaning on the arm of her niece, and
looking round with a dolorous expression that would have furnished a
study for a picture of despair.

"Even so," replied her brother, with an attempt at a joyous chuckle
that died off into a groan.

"Oh, brother Ben--since Ben-na-Groich you insist on being called--oh,
brother Ben, what tempted you to buy such a place as this?--in such a
country?--among such hideous people?"

"Partly a bad debt that the late owner was on our books--partly a
desire to be a regular chief, and astonish the Huxtables; but cheer
up, sister, things will be better in a day or two. We shall all put on
our tartans--cheer up you too, niece Jane, Charles Hobbins will be
here ere long; I've got some clothes ready for him too, and intend to
give him a black feather, and make him as good a downy-whistle as you
can desire."

"Ah, brother!" interposed Miss Alice, "that would have been all very
well a short time ago, and it would have been delightful to see you
with your henchman, and jellies, and downy-whistles--but 'tis too late
now. Oh, brother! we are doomed to destruction. Copus will tell you
what he has seen this very day."

"Why, what has he seen?--a ghost? they are wery superstitious, and
believe in the second sight."

"Oh, first sight is quite enough for us. I saw them myself, though
they were at such a distance, I confess, I took them for a flock of
sheep."

"Who?--what was it you saw?--speak, Copus." Thus adjured, our
travelled friend, with a face from which the expression of alarm had
not yet entirely subsided, commenced his narrative.

"This morning, sir, when we first changed 'osses, I gets off the
rumble, sir, and leaves Mariar by herself. I goes into the small
house while the cattle was a-coming--a lonely place, sir, in the midst
of a moor, sir--and says I to the landlady, says I, 'here's a fine
day,' says I.'

"'Make the most of it,' says she, 'you bid fair never to see another.'

"'You're wery