HIS FINIS. 369 



well have been the expression of some evil spirit's 

 thought. But, after a time, the thought of her old 

 home, where Christmas joyance was reigning at that 

 moment, rose before her mind and made her forget her 

 fears for a little. Softly and plaintively she began 

 again to murmur her thoughts aloud. 



*' Mither will be sitting at the chimney nook wi' her 

 best cap on, and her braw blue claith gown and the 

 collar I made for her myself; and faither will be 

 playing on his fiddle — he will be lilting ower the 

 bonnie Foola Eeel, and the boys and lassies will be 

 skipping awa' in the dance. Oh ! if I had never left 

 my faither's house! oh, if I were there now! But I 

 dare not go across the moor on such a night — unless 

 the moon was to come up, and the snow stop — and that 

 winna be. He will not be home for hours — maybe 

 not to-night — if he has mair than one dram at the 

 store ; ■ and a bonny home-coming it will be at the 

 lang and the last o' it I Dare I take Liza from her 

 warm bed out into the cauld ? Oh, no ! Yet to think 0' 

 them all at Skairpa hadden hearty, and / here in auld 

 James Gertson's dreary house my lane ! " 



The poor pretty creature's tears flowed fast, and 

 rising sadly she crossed the cottage, opened the door, 

 and peered wistfully into the darkness. The ground 

 was thickly covered with snow, and more was falling 

 in fitful showers, while over the hill swept moaning 

 winter winds. Not far below the brae upon which 

 the cottage stood, the turbulent North Sea dashed 

 against a craggy shore, and the roar of its breakers 



2 A 



