190 A TERRIBLE WOMAN. CHAP. x. 



think of beating a retreat, as he seemed to have been 

 the cause, in some way, of the girls leaving the house. 

 But at that moment, a woman, of prodigious size and 

 attitude, appeared at the threshold. She stood stock 

 still, and looked at the stranger furiously. He ad- 

 dressed her, but she gave no reply. He addressed 

 her again, louder ; but she was still silent. He looked 

 at her again. In one hand she grasped a most for- 

 midable-looking axe ; whilst in the other she held 

 what looked like the half of a young tree. She was 

 tall, stout, and remarkably muscular ; her hair was 

 of a carroty-red colour, and thickly matted together. 

 Her dress was scanty ; she was bare -legged, but 

 wore a pair of old unlaced boots, such as are usually 

 worn by ploughmen. With her axe in one hand 

 and her pole in the other with her clenched teeth, 

 and fierce aspect Edward could entertain no other 

 idea of her than that she was mad ; and that her in- 

 tention was to brain him with her axe ! He could 

 not rush past her. Her space filled the doorway. 

 He could not overpower her, for she was much more 

 powerful than he was. His suspense was dreadful. 



At last she moved one step forward ; then another, 

 until Edward thought he might plunge past her, and 

 escape. But no ; she opened her lips and spoke, or 

 rather yelled " Man, fat the sorra brocht ye in here, 

 an' you in siccan a mess ! Gang oot o' my hoose, I 

 tell ye, this verra minit ! Gang oot ! " This appeal 

 brought Edward to himself again. He apologised to 



