262 WHO WERE THE FAIRIES ? 



Fairyland by its outraged inhabitants for reasons 

 which, will shortly appear. 



It is true that he appeared to die, that is, he 

 sank in a swoon on the side of a dun-sidh or fairy 

 hill, and that a funeral was held in which he was 

 the silent participant, but, according to the legend, 

 all this was a mere pretence. " After the ceremony 

 of a seeming funeral " says Scott, " the form of 

 the Rev. Robert Kirk appeared to a relation, and 

 commanded him to go to Grahame of Duchray. 

 ' Say to Duchray, who is my cousin as well as 

 your own, that I am not dead, but a captive in 

 Fairyland ; and only one chance remains for my 

 liberation. When the posthumous child, of which 

 my wife has been delivered since my disappear- 

 ance, shall be brought to baptism, I will appear 

 in the room, when, if Duchray shall throw over 

 my head the knife or dirk which he holds in his 

 hand, I may be restored to society ; but if this be 

 neglected, I am lost for ever." We note in pass- 

 ing the introduction of the sacred metal, iron, as 

 a talisman against fairy devices and await the 

 sequel. Kirk appeared at the baptism and was seen 

 by Duchray and, as it would appear, by others 

 then present, but whether Duchray had no desire 

 for the return to earth of his cousin, or whether 

 he was, as Andrew Lang believed, so much aston- 

 ished as to forget the message, the fact remains 

 that the dirk was not thrown and Mr. Kirk once 

 more returned to his fairy prison where we must 

 assume he still languishes. And now we may ask 

 why his gaolers were so angry with Mr. Kirk. It 

 was presumably because he knew too much about 



