And ae day at the spaw-well below the craig at Gilsland she was seeing a very bonny family o' bairns--they belanged to ane Mac-Crosky--and she broke out--"Is not it an odd like thing that ilka waf carle in the country has a son and heir, and that the house of Ellangowan is without male succession ?" There was a gipsy wife stood ahint and heard her, a muckle sture fearsome-looking wife she was as ever I set een on.

"Wha is it," says she, "that dare say the house of Ellangowan will perish without male succession ?" My mistress just turned on her; she was a high-spirited woman, and aye ready wi' an answer to a' body.

"It's me that says it," says she, "that may say it with a sad heart." Wi' that the gipsy wife gripped till her hand--"I ken you weel eneugh," says she, "though ye kenna me.

But as sure as that sun's in heaven, and as sure as that water's rinning to the sea, and as sure as there's an ee that sees and an ear that hears us baith, Harry Bertram, that was thought to perish at Warroch Point, never did die there.

He was to have a weary weird o't till his ane-and-twentieth year, that was aye said o' him; but if ye live and I live, ye'll hear mair o' him this winter before the snaw lies twa days on the Dun of Singleside.