Hear me: the guard's drawn off at the custom-house at Portanferry, and it's brought up to Hazlewood House by your father's orders, because he thinks his house is to be attacked this night by the smugglers.

There's naebody means to touch his house; he has gude blood and gentle blood--I say little o' him for himsell--but there's naebody thinks him worth meddling wi'.

Send the horsemen back to their post, cannily and quietly; see an they winna hae wark the night, ay will they: the guns will flash and the swords will glitter in the braw moon.' 'Good God! what do you mean ?' said young Hazlewood; 'your words and manner would persuade me you are mad, and yet there is a strange combination in what you say.' 'I am not mad!' exclaimed the gipsy; 'I have been imprisoned for mad--scourged for mad--banished for mad--but mad I am not.

Hear ye, Charles Hazlewood of Hazlewood: d'ye bear malice against him that wounded you ?' 'No, dame, God forbid; my arm is quite well, and I have always said the shot was discharged by accident.

I should be glad to tell the young man so himself.' 'Then do what I bid ye,' answered Meg Merrilies, 'and ye 'll do him mair gude than ever he did you ill; for if he was left to his ill-wishers he would be a bloody corpse ere morn, or a banished man; but there's Ane abune a'.