Alec Forbes of Howglen

in all the square inclosure, though cow-houses and stables formed the greater part of it, and one end was occupied by a dwelling-house. Away through the gate at th

sed the yard. The door of the barn was open, showing a polished floor, as empty, bright, and clean as th

of the house-a room of tolerable size, with a clean boarded floor, a mahogany table, black with age, and chairs of like material, whose wooden seats, and high, straight backs, were more suggestive of state than repose. Every one of these chairs was occupied by a silent man, whose gaze was either fixed on the floor, or lost in the voids of space. Each wore a black coat, and most of them were in bl

showed very white against his other clothing which, like that o

nt to see the cor

n, and liked bustle, the carpenter turned on his heel, and re-ascended the narrow stairs to

e rejoined his companion. "Puir fallow! He's unco (unco

st i' the face o' a cor

an yer ain t

orn face o' him, leukin up there atween the buirds, as gin he had gotten what he wanted sa

efter his ain. The lid o' the c

very religious man, but was more respected than liked, because his forte was rebuke. It was from deference to him that the carpenter had assumed a me

ed it down. And there was darkness about the dead; but he knew it not, because he w

prayer-was going on below. This was all that gave the burial any sacred solemnity; for at the grave the Scotch terror

ter's come

id as chaff upo' clay. Honest Jeames there'll rise ance mair; but never a word that man says,

to flee i' your face-but jist say a fair

a' be dune. There's a heap o' graceless gaeins on in't; and that puir feckless body, the minist

ion at the wrongs he endured from his children. If Thomas was right in this, then certainly he

ated themselves, waiting till the coffin should be

nither boatle," whispered a sh

the glasses the second time with wine, red and

ered in a coaxing, old-wivish tone;

s example. One after another they withdrew to the door, wh

ard. Outside, they were joined by several more in gigs and on horseback; and

he spot. There was some long grass in it, though, clambering up as if it sought to bury the gravestones in their turn. And that long grass was a blessing. Better still, there was a sky ove