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Mac…Guffog　accordingly　interrupted　their　discourse　by　the　harsh　harmony　of　the　bolts　and　bars；　and　showed　his　bloated　visage　at　the　opening　door。　〃Come；　Mr。　Dinmont；　we　have　put　off　locking　up　for　an　hour　to　oblige　ye；　ye　must　go　to　your　quarters。〃

〃Quarters；　man？　I　intend　to　sleep　here　the　night。　There's　a　spare　bed　in　the　Captain's　room。〃

〃It's　impossible！〃　answered　the　keeper。

〃But　I　say　it　is　possible；　and　that　I　winna　stirand　there's　a　dram　t'ye。〃

Mac…Guffog　drank　off　the　spirits；　and　resumed　his　objection。　〃But　it's　against　rule；　sir；　ye　have　committed　nae　malefaction。〃

〃I'll　break　your　head；〃　said　the　sturdy　Liddesdale　man；　〃if　ye　say　ony　mair　about　it；　and　that　will　be　malefaction　eneugh　to　entitle　me　to　ae　night's　lodging　wi'　you　ony　way。〃

〃But　I　tell　ye；　Mr。　Dinmont；〃　reiterated　the　keeper；　it's　against　rule；　and　I　behoved　to　lose　my　post。〃

〃Weel；　Mac…Guffog；〃　said　Dandie；　〃I　hae　just　twa　things　to　say。　Ye　ken　wha　I　am　weel　eneugh；　and　that　I　wadna　loose　a　prisoners〃

〃And　how　do　I　ken　that？〃　answered　the　jailor。

〃Weel；　if　ye　dinna　ken　that；〃　said　the　resolute　farmer；　〃ye　ken　this；ye　ken　ye're　whiles　obliged　to　be　up　our　water　in　the　way　o'　your　business；　now；　if　ye　let　me　stay　quietly　here　the　night　wi'　the　Captain；　I'se　pay　ye　double　fees　for　the　room；　and　if　ye　say　no；　ye　shall　hae　the　best　sark…fu'　o'　sair　banes　that　ever　ye　had　in　your　life；　the　first　time　ye　set　a　foot　by　Liddel…moat！〃

〃Aweel；　aweel；　gudeman；〃　said　Mac…Guffog；　〃a　wilfu'　man　maun　hae　his　way；　but　if　I　am　challenged　for　it　by　the　justices；　I　ken　wha　sail　bear　the　wyte；〃and　having　scaled　this　observation　with　a　deep　oath　or　two；　he　retired　to　bed；　after　carefully　securing　all　the　doors　of　the　Bridewell。　The　bell　from　the　town　steeple　toiled　nine　just　as　the　ceremony　was　concluded。

〃Although　it's　but　early　hours；〃　said　the　farmer；　who　had　observed　that　his　friend　looked　somewhat　pale　and　fatigued；　〃I　think　we　had　better　lie　down；　Captain；　if　ye're　no　agreeable　to　another　cheerer。　But　troth；　ye're　nae　glass…breaker；　and　neither　am　I；　unless　it　be　a　screed　wi'　the　neighbours；　or　when　I'm　on　a　ramble。〃

Bertram　readily　assented　to　the　motion　of　his　faithful　friend；　but；　on　looking　at　the　bed；　felt　repugnance　to　trust　himself　undressed　to　Mrs。　Mac…Guffog's　clean　sheets。

〃I'm　muckle　o'　your　opinion；　Captain；〃　said　Dandie。　〃Odd；　this　bed　looks　as　if　a'　the　colliers　in　Sanquhar　had　been　in't　thegither。　But　it'll　no　win　through　my　muckle　coat。　〃So　saying；　he　flung　himself　upon　the　frail　bed　with　a　force　that　made　all　its　timbers　crack；　and　in　a　few　moments　gave　audible　signal　that　he　was　fast　asleep。　Bertram　slipped　off　his　coat　and　boots；　and；　occupied　the　other　dormitory。　The　strangeness　of　his　destiny；　and　the　mysteries　which　appeared　to　thicken　around　him；　while　he　seemed　alike　to　be　persecuted　and　protected　by　secret　enemies　and　friends；　arising　out　of　a　class　of　people　with　whom　he　had　no　previous　connection；　for　some　time　occupied　his　thoughts。　Fatigue；　however；　gradually　composed　his　mind；　and　in　a　short　time　he　was　as　fast　asleep　as　his　companion。　And　in　this　comfortable　state　of　oblivion　we　must　leave　them；　until　we　acquaint　the　reader　with　some　other　circumstances　which　occurred　about　the　same　period。


CHAPTER　XLVI。

　　Say　from　whence　You　owe　this　strange　intelligence？　or　　　why　Upon　this　blasted　heath　you　stop　our　way　With　such　　　prophetic　greeting？Speak；　I　charge　you。　　　　　Macbeth

Upon　the　evening　of　the　day　when　Bertram's　examination　had　taken　place；　Colonel　Mannering　arrived　at　Woodbourne　from　Edinburgh。　He　found　his　family　n　their　usual　state；　which　probably；　so　far　as　Julia　vas　concerned；　would　not　have　been　the　case　had　she　learned　the　news　of　Bertram's　arrest。　But　as；　during　the　Colonel's　absence；　the　two　young　ladies　lived　much　retired；　this　circumstance　fortunately　had　not　reached　Woodbourne。　A　letter　had　already　made　Miss　Bertram　acquainted　with　the　downfall　of　the　expectations　which　had　been　formed　upon　the　bequest　of　her　kinswoman。　Whatever　hopes　that　news　night　have　dispelled；　the　disappointment　did　not　prevent　her　from　joining　her　friend　in　affording　a　cheerful　reception　to　the　Colonel；　to　whom　she　thus　endeavoured　to　express　the　deep　sense　she　entertained　of　his　paternal　kindness。　She　touched　on　her　regret；　that　at　such　a　season　of　the　year　he　should　have　made；　upon　her　account；　a　journey　so　fruitless。

〃That　it　was　fruitless　to　you；　my　dear；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃I　do　most　deeply　lament；　but　for；　my　own　share；　I　have　made　some　valuable　acquaintances；　and　have　spent　the　time　I　have　been　absent　in　Edinburgh　with　peculiar　satisfaction；　so　that；　on　that　score；　there　is　nothing　to　be　regretted。　Even　our　friend　the　Dominie　is　returned　thrice　the　man　he　was；　from　having　sharpened　his　wits　in　controversy　with　the　geniuses　of　the　northern　metropolis。〃

〃Of　a　surety；〃　said　the　Dominie；　with　great　complacency；　〃I　did　wrestle；　and　was　not　overcome；　though　my　adversary　was　cunning　in　his　art。〃

〃I　presume；〃　said　Miss　Mannering；　〃the　conquest　was　somewhat　fatiguing；　Mr。　Sampson？〃

〃Very　much；　young　ladyhowbeit　I　girded　up　my　loins　and　strove　against　him。〃

〃I　can　bear　witness；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃I　never　saw　an　affair　better　contested。　The　enemy　was　like　the　Mahratta　cavalry；　he　assailed　on　all　sides；　and　presented　no　fair　mark　for　artillery；　but　Mr。　Sampson　stood　to　his　guns；　notwithstanding；　and　fired　away；　now　upon　the　enemy；　and　now　upon　the　dust　which　he　had　raised。　But　we　must　not　fight　our　battles　over　again　to…nightto…morrow　we　shall　have　the　whole　at　breakfast。〃

The　next　morning　at　breakfast；　however；　the　Dominie　did　not　make　his　appearance。　He　had　walked　out；　a　servant　said；　early　in　the　morning。　It　was　so　common　for　him　to　forget　his　meals；　that　his　absence　never　deranged　the　family。　The　housekeeper；　a　decent　old…fashioned　Presbyterian　matron；　having；　as　such；　the　highest　respect　for　Sampson's　theological　acquisitions；　had　it　in　charge　on　these　occasions　to　take　care　that　he　was　no　sufferer　by　his　absence　of　mind；　and　therefore　usually；　waylaid　him　on　his　return；　to　remind　him　of　his　sublunary　wants；　and　to　minister　to　their　relief。　It　seldom；　however；　happened　that　he　was　absent　from　two　meals　together；　as　was　the　case　in　the　present　instance。　We　must　explain　the　cause　of　this　unusual　occurrence。

The　conversation　which　Mr。　Pleydell　had　held　with　Mr。　Mannering　on　the　subject　of　the　loss　of　Harry　Bertram；　had　awakened　all　the　painful　sensations　which　that　event　had　inflicted　upon　Sampson。　The　affectionate　heart　of　the　poor　Dominie　had　always　reproached　him；　that　his　negligence　in　leaving　the　child　in　the　care　of　Frank　Kennedy　had　been　the　proximate　cause　of　the　murder　of　the　one；　the　loss　of　the　other；　the　death　of　Mrs。　Bertram；　and　the　ruin　of　the　family　of　his　patron。　It　was　a　subject　which　he　never　conversed　upon；if　indeed　his　mode　of　speech　could　be　called　conversation　at　any　time；but　it　was　often　present　to　his　imagination。　The　sort　of　hope　so　strongly　affirmed　and　asserted　in　Mrs。　Bertram's　last　settlement；　had　excited　a　corresponding　feeling　in　the　Dominie's　bosom；　which　was　exasperated　into　a　sort　of　sickening　anxiety；　by　the　discredit　with　which　Pleydell　had　treated　it。〃Assuredly；〃　thought　Sampson　to　himself；　〃he　is　a　man　of　erudition；　and　well　skilled　in　the　weighty　matters　of　the　law；　but　he　is　also　a　man　of　humorous　levity　and　inconsistency　of　speech；　and　wherefore　should　he　pronounce　ex　cathedra；　as　it　were；　on　the　hope　expressed　by　worthy　Madam　Margaret　Bertram　of　Singleside？〃

All　this；　I　say；　the　Dominie　thought　to　himself　for　had　he　uttered　half　the　sentence；　his　jaws　would　have　ached　for　a　month　under　the　unusual　fatigue　of　such　a　continued　exertion。　The　result　of　these　cogitations　was　a　resolution　to　go　and　visit　the　scene　of　the　tragedy　at　Warroch　Point；　where　he　had　not　been　for　many　yearsnot；　indeed；　since　the　fatal　accident　had　happened。　The　walk　was　a　long　one；　for　the　Point　of　Warroch　lay　on　the　farther　side　of　the　Ellangowan　property；　which　was　interposed　between　it　and　Woodbourne。　Besides；　the　Dominie　went　astray　more　than　once；　and　met　with　brooks　swollen　into　torrents　by　the　melting　of　the　snow；　where　he；　honest　man；　had　only　the　summer…recollection　of　little　trickling　rills。

At　length；　however；　he　reached　the　woods　which　he　had　made　the　object　of　his　excursion；　and　traversed　them　with　care；　muddling　his　disturbed　brains　with　vague　efforts　to　recall　every　circumstance　of　the　catastrophe。　It　will　readily　be　supposed　that　the　influence　of　local　situation　and　association　was　inadequate　to　produce　conclusions　different　from　those　which　he　had　formed　under　the　immediate　pressure　of　the　occurrences　themselves。　〃With　many　a　weary　sigh；　therefore；　and　many　a　groan；〃　the　poor　Dominie　returned　from　his　hopeless　pilgrimage；　and　weariedly　plodded　his　way　towards　Woodbourne；　debating　at　times　in　his　altered　mind　a　question　which　was　forced　upon　him　by　the　cravings　of　an　appetite　rather　of　the　keenest；　namely；　whether　he　had　breakfasted　that　morning　or　no？It　was　in　this　twilight　humour；　now　thinking　of　the　loss　of　the　child；　then　involuntarily　compelled　to　meditate　upon　the　somewhat　incongruous　subject　of　hung…beef；　rolls；　and　butter；　that　his　route；　which　was　diffe