'Where is Christie of Clinthill?' said Martin.
'I do not know,' said little Mary; 'I never saw him.'
'And what made you, ye misleard loons,' said Dame Elspeth to her two boys, 'come yon gate into the ha', roaring like bullsegs, to frighten the leddy, and her far frae strong? ' The boys looked at each other in silence and confusion, and their mother proceeded with her lecture. 'Could ye find nae night for daffin but Hallowe'en, and nae time but when the leddy was reading to us about the holy saints? May ne'er be in my fingers, if I dinna sort ye baith for it!' The eldest boy bent his eyes on the ground, the younger began to weep, but neither spoke; and the mother would have proceeded to extremities, but for the interposition of the little maiden.
'Dame Elspeth, it was my fault; I did say to them that I saw a man in the spence.'
'And what made you do so, child,' said her mother, 'to startle us all thus? '
'Because,' said Mary, lowering her voice, 'I could not help it.'
'Not help it, Mary! you occasioned all this idle noise, and you could not help it? How mean you by that, minion'!'
'There really was an armed man in this spence,' said Mary; 'and because I was surprised to see him, I cried out to Halbert and Edward'
'She has told it herself,' said Halbert Glendinning, 'or it had never been told by me.'
'Nor by me neither,' said Edward, emulously.
'Mistress Mary,' said Elspeth, 'you never told us anything before that was not true; tell us if this was a Hallowe'en cantrip, and make an end of it.' The Lady of Avenel looked as if she would have interfered, but knew not how; and Elspeth, who was too eagerly curious to regard any distant hint, persevered in her inquiries. 'Was it Christie of the Clinthill? I would not for a mark that he were about the house, and a body no ken whare.'
'It was not Christie,' said Mary; 'it was—it was a gentleman—a gentleman with a bright breastplate, like what I hac seen langsyne, when we dwelt at Avenel'
'What like was he?' continued Tibb, who now took share in the investigation.
