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story of sir Gibbie。 The night wore on。 Arctura listeneddid
nothing but listen； she was enchanted。 And it surprised Donal
himself to find how calmly he could now look back upon what had
seemed to threaten an everlasting winter of the soul。 It was indeed
the better thing that Ginevra should be Gibbie's wife！
A pause had come； and he had fallen into a brooding memory of things
gone by； when a sudden succession of quick knocks fell on his ear。
He startedstrangely affected。 Neither of his companions took
notice of it； though it was now past one o'clock。 It was like a
knocking with knuckles against the other side of the wall of the
room。
〃What can that be？〃 he said； listening for more。
〃H'ard ye never that 'afore； maister Grant？〃 said the housekeeper。
〃I hae grown sae used til't my ears hardly tak notice o' 't！〃
〃What is it？〃 asked Donal。
〃Ay； what is't？ Tell ye me that gien ye can！〃 she returned 〃It's
jist a chappin'； an' God's trowth it's a' I ken aboot the same！ It
comes； I believe I'm safe to say； ilka nicht； but I couldna tak my
aith upo' 't； I hae sae entirely drappit peyin' ony attention til't。
There's things aboot mony an auld hoose； maister Grant； 'at'll tak
the day o' judgment to explain them。 But sae lang as they keep to
their ain side o' the wa'； I dinna see I need trible my heid aboot
them。 Efter the experrience I had as a yoong lass； awa' doon in
Englan' yon'er； at a place my auntie got me intilfor she kenned a
heap o' gran' fowk throuw bein' hersel' sae near conneckit wi' them
as hoosekeeper i' the castel hereefter that； I'm sayin；' I wadna
need to be that easy scaret？〃
〃What was it？〃 said lady Arctura。 〃I don't think you ever told me。〃
〃No； my dear lady； I wud never hae thocht o' tellin' ye ony sic
story sae lang as ye was ower yoong no to be frichtit at it； for
'deed I think they're muckle to blame 'at tells bairns the varra
things they're no fit to hear； an' fix the dreid 'afore the sense。
But I s' tell ye the noo； gien ye care to hear。 It's a some awsome
story； but there's something unco fulish…like intil't as weel。 I
canna say I think muckle 'o craturs 'at trible their heids aboot
their heids！But that's tellin' 'aforehan'！〃
Here the good woman paused thoughtful。
〃I am longing to hear your story； mistress Brookes；〃 said Donal；
supposing she needed encouragement。
〃I'm but thinkin' hoo to begin；〃 she returned； 〃sae as to gie ye a
richt haud o' the thing。I'm thinkin' I canna do better nor jist
tell 't as it cam to mysel'！Weel； ye see； I was but a yoong lass；
abootweel； I micht be twenty； mair or less； whan I gaed til the
place I speak o'。 It was awa' upo' the borders o' Wales； like as
gien folk ower there i' Perth war doobtfu' whether sic or sic a
place was i' the hielan's or the lowlan's。 The maister o' the hoose
was a yoong man awa' upo' 's traivels； I kenna whaursomewhaur upo'
the continent； but that's a mickle word； an' as he had the intention
o' bein' awa' for some time to come； no carin' to settle doon aff
han' an' luik efter his ain； there was but ane gey auld wuman to
hoosekeep； an' me to help her； an' a man or twa aboot the place to
luik efter the gairdenan' that was a'。 Hoose an' gairden was to
let； an' was intil the han's o' ane o' thae agents； as they ca'
them； for that same purposeto let； that is； for a term o' years。
Weel； ae day there cam a gentleman to luik at the place； an' he was
sae weel pleased wi' 'tas weel he micht； for eh； it was a bonny
place！aye lauchin' like； whaur this place is aye i' the
sulks！na； no aye！ I dinna mean that； my lady； forgettin' at it's
yours！but ye maun own it taks a heap o' sun to gar this auld hoose
here luik onything but some douran' I beg yer pardon； my lady！〃
〃You are quite right； mistress Brookes！〃 said Arctura with a smile。
〃If it were not for you it would be dour dour。You do not know； Mr。
Grantmistress Brookes herself does not know how much I owe her！ I
should have gone out of my mind for very dreariness a hundred times
but for her。〃
〃The short an' the lang o' 't was；〃 resumed mistress Brookes； 〃that
the place was let an' the place was ta'en； mickle to the
satisfaction o' a' pairties concernt。 The auld hoosekeeper； she
bein' a fixtur like； was to bide； an' I was to bide as weel； under
the hoosekeeper； an' haein' nothing to do wi' the stranger servan's。
〃They cam。 There was a gentleman o' a middle age； an' his leddy some
yoonger nor himsel'； han'some but no bonniebut that has naething
to do wi' my tale 'at I should tak up yer time wi' 't； an' it
growin' some late。〃
〃Never mind the time； mistress Brookes；〃 said Arctura； we can do
just as we please about that！ One time is as good as anotherisn't
it； Mr。 Grant？〃
〃I sometimes sit up half the night myself；〃 said Donal。 〃I like to
know God's night。 Only it won't do often； lest we make the brain；
which is God's too； like a watch that won't go。〃
〃It's sair upsettin' to the wark！〃 said the housekeeper。 〃What would
the house be like if I was to do that！〃
〃Do go on； please； mistress Brookes；〃 said Arctura。
〃Please do；〃 echoed Donal。
〃Sir； an' my lady； I'm ready to sit till the cock's be dune crawin'；
an' the day dune dawin'； to pleasur the ane or the twa o' ye！an'
sae for my true tale！They war varra dacent； weel…behavet fowk； wi'
a fine faimly； some grown an' some growin'。 It was jist a fawvour to
see sic a halesome clanfrae auchteen or thereawa' doon tu the wee
toddlin' lassie was the varra aipple o' the e'e to a' the e'en aboot
the place！ But that's naither here nor yet there！ A' gaed on as a'
should gang on whaur the servan's are no ower gran' for their ain
wark； nor ower meddlesome wi' the wark o' their neebours； naething
was negleckit； nor onything girned aboot； but a' was peace an'
hermony； as quo' the auld sang about out bonny Kilmenythat is；
till ae nicht。You see I'm tellin' ye as it cam' to mysel' an' no
til anither！
〃As I lay i' my bed that nichtan' ye may be sure at my age I lay
nae langer nor jist to turn me ower ance； an' in general no that
ancejist as I was fa'in' asleep； up gat sic a romage i' the
servan' ha'； straucht 'aneth whaur I was lyin'； that I thoucht to
mysel'； what upo' earth's come to the place！'Gien it bena the day
o' judgment； troth it's no the day o' sma' things！' I said。 It was
as gien a' the cheirs an' tables thegither war bein' routit oot o'
their places； an' syne set back again； an' the tables turnt heels
ower heid； an' a' the glaiss an' a' the plate for the denner knockit
aboot as gien they had been sae mony hailstanes that warna wantit
ony mair； but micht jist lie whaur they fell。 I couldna for the life
o' me think what it micht betoken； save an' excep' a general frenzy
had seized upo' man an' wuman i' the hoose！ I got up in a hurry：
whatever was gaein' on； I wudna wullin'ly gang wantin' my share o'
the sicht！ An' jist as I opened my door； wha should I hear but the
maister cryin' at the heid o' the stair；'What； i' the name o' a'
that's holy；' says he； 'is the meanin' o' this？' An' I ran til him；
oot o' the passage； an' through the swing…door； into the great
corridor； an' says I；''Deed； sir； I was won'erin'！ an' wi' yer
leave； sir； I'll gang an