124 REMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



hands condescended to raise a cairn to my 

 honour on my island's summit. Unfortunately, 

 we went a step too far — we ventured to rename 

 the island. Alas ! my patron fairy took this 

 amiss. Though we all separated enchanted 

 with one another on the evening of that beau- 

 tiful day, apparently happy and united, soon 

 the scene changed, and strife and discord took 

 the place of peace and harmony. An angry, 

 spiteful fairy can play the mischief if she likes 

 it, and my former friend did this. But what 

 made her drive the snipes away ? I never saw 

 one there afterwards. I never had a day's 

 sport on the dear loch again, and there stands 

 the solitary cairn on the lone island. When 

 last I saw it, knowing that I was so soon about 

 to leave my long- cherished home, I felt inclined 

 to pull it down, it seemed such a mockery. 

 " But, no," thought I ; ''let it stand, a monu- 

 ment of the uncertainty of all human things, 

 and a warning to my successor against indulg- 

 ing in any fond dreams of fixity of tenure. 

 If, however, I ever get a territory again — and 

 I have visions of one in the far north-west 

 of Ireland, where they say there is a river with 

 a lake, with both coble and island upon it — if 

 ever I offend another island fairy by giving 

 another " disjune," as my Lady Margaret 



