CHAPTER NINTH.
"Be brave," she cried, "you yet may be our guest, Our haunted room was ever held the best.
If, then, your valour can the sight sustain Of rustling curtains and the clinking chain If your courageous tongue have powers to talk, When round your bed the horrid ghost shall walk If you dare ask it why it leaves its tomb, I'll see your sheets well air'd, and show the Room." True Story.
They reached the room in which they had dined, and were clamorously welcomed by Miss Oldbuck.
"Where's the younger womankind ?" said the Antiquary.
"Indeed, brother, amang a' the steery, Maria wadna be guided by me she set away to the Halket-craig-head--I wonder ye didna see her." "Eh!--what--what's that you say, sister ?--did the girl go out in a night like this to the Halket-head ?--Good God! the misery of the night is not ended yet!" "But ye winna wait, Monkbarns--ye are so imperative and impatient"-- "Tittle-tattle, woman," said the impatient and agitated Antiquary, "where is my dear Mary ?" "Just where ye suld be yoursell, Monkbarns--up-stairs, and in her warm bed." "I could have sworn it," said Oldbuck laughing, but obviously much relieved--"I could have sworn it;--the lazy monkey did not care if we were all drowned together.

Why did you say she went out ?" "But ye wadna wait to hear out my tale, Monkbarns--she gaed out, and she came in again with the gardener sae sune as she saw that nane o' ye were clodded ower the Craig, and that Miss Wardour was safe in the chariot; she was hame a quarter of an hour syne, for it's now ganging ten--sair droukit was she, puir thing, sae I e'en put a glass o' sherry in her water-gruel." "Right, Grizel, right--let womankind alone for coddling each other.

But hear me, my venerable sister--start not at the word venerable; it implies many praiseworthy qualities besides age; though that too is honourable, albeit it is the last quality for which womankind would wish to be honoured--But perpend my words: let Lovel and me have forthwith the relics of the chicken-pie, and the reversion of the port." "The chicken-pie! the port!--ou dear! brother--there was but a wheen banes, and scarce a drap o' the wine." The Antiquary's countenance became clouded, though he was too well bred to give way, in the presence of a stranger, to his displeased surprise at the disappearance of the viands on which he had reckoned with absolute certainty.

But his sister understood these looks of ire.

"Ou dear! Monkbarns, what's the use of making a wark ?" "I make no wark, as ye call it, woman." "But what's the use o' looking sae glum and glunch about a pickle banes ?--an ye will hae the truth, ye maun ken the minister came in, worthy man--sair distressed he was, nae doubt, about your precarious situation, as he ca'd it (for ye ken how weel he's gifted wi' words), and here he wad bide till he could hear wi' certainty how the matter was likely to gang wi' ye a'-- He said fine things on the duty of resignation to Providence's will, worthy man! that did he." Oldbuck replied, catching the same tone, "Worthy man!--he cared not how soon Monkbarns had devolved on an heir-female, I've a notion;--and while he was occupied in this Christian office of consolation against impending evil, I reckon that the chicken-pie and my good port disappeared ?" "Dear brother, how can you speak of sic frivolities, when you have had sic an escape from the craig ?" "Better than my supper has had from the minister's craig, Grizzle--it's all discussed, I suppose ?" "Hout, Monkbarns, ye speak as if there was nae mair meat in the house--wad ye not have had me offer the honest man some slight refreshment after his walk frae the manse ?" Oldbuck half-whistled, half-hummed, the end of the old Scottish ditty, O, first they eated the white puddings, And then they eated the black, O, And thought the gudeman unto himsell, The deil clink down wi' that, O! His sister hastened to silence his murmurs, by proposing some of the relies of the dinner.