A MONTH AT STRATH MAACOE 189 



seeing her soon : for this is the verra year she is due. Every 

 third year she is as sure to come as the heather is to bloom. 

 ' Twice she shows, and awa' she goes ' ; so you have finished 

 wi' her the noo, sir." 



Tom looked quite relieved at hearing this good news, while 

 in reply to his inquiry as to what was the story connected with 

 the triennial appearance of the apparition, our hostess said — 



" Weel, sir, they tell that mony years back the lady was the 

 wife of a laird of Strathmaacoe — a bad mon, who, for wicked 

 reasons of his ain, was wanting to be rid of her. So he ca'ed 

 her upstairs into the verra room where your friend speered the 

 ghaist, and where her sick bairn was lying sair ill on the bed. 

 Then, as the puir mither stooped over the bairn to kiss it, the 

 rascally laird plunged his dirk right through her. Hech, sirs, 

 that's the story, and a dour one it is." 



Having thanked the old lady we took our departure, and 

 here it may be stated that what she said was perfectly correct 

 as far as the ghost was concerned, for it troubled us no more, 

 while as Tom had given up the Castle for a fresh place before 

 another third year came round, we have had no means of 

 ascertaining if other tenants have been honoured by the same 

 startling attentions. 



To continue my narrative of the events of the day, it must 

 now be stated we had excellent sport, and after bagging one 

 hundred and seven brace of grouse, we were well pleased with 

 ourselves as we turned into the avenue of fine beech trees 

 leading up to the house, along which we saw Surrey hastening 

 to meet us. As he approached, there was a something in his 

 manner which stopped the shout of merry welcome we were 

 about to give, while as he came yet nearer, Tom's salutation 

 was — 



"What's the matter, Surrey? Something is wrong, I'm 

 sure." 



With much emotion and in broken tones he replied — 



" Oh, Berks ! I hardly know how to tell you ; but there has 



