He looked at Aggie as much as to say, "What can be coming ?" and she stared at him in turn with dilated pupils, as if something dreadful were about to be evoked by the threatened narrative.

Neither spoke a word, but their souls got into their ears, and there sat listening.

The hearing was likely to be frightful when so prefaced by Grannie.
"There's no guid ever cam' o' ca'in' things oot o' their ain names," she began, "an" it's my min' 'at gien ever ae man was a willain, an' gien ever ae man had rizzon no to lie quaiet whan he was doon, that man was your father's uncle--his gran' uncle, that is, the auld captain, as we ca'd him.

Fowk said he saul' his sowl to the ill ane: hoo that may be, I wadna care to be able to tell; but sure I am 'at his was a sowl ill at ease,--baith here an' herefter.

Them 'at sleepit aneth me, for there was twa men-servan's aboot the hoose that time--an' troth there was need o' them an' mair, sic war the gangin's on! an' they sleepit whaur I'm tauld ye sleep noo, Cosmo--them 'at sleepit there tellt me 'at never a nicht passed 'at they h'ardna soons 'aneth them 'at there was no mainner o' accoontin' for nor explainin', as fowks sae set upo' duin' nooadays wi' a'thing.