Chapter 10

I left my ladye's bower last night--
It was clad in wreaths of snaw,--
I'll seek it when the sun is bright,
And sweet the roses blaw.--OLD BALLAD.

Incensed at what he deemed the coldness of his friends, in a cause
which interested him so nearly, Hobbie had shaken himself free of their
company, and was now on his solitary road homeward. "The fiend founder
thee!" said he, as he spurred impatiently his over-fatigued and
stumbling horse; "thou art like a' the rest o' them. Hae I not bred
thee, and fed thee, and dressed thee wi' mine ain hand, and wouldst thou
snapper now and break my neck at my utmost need? But thou'rt e'en like
the lave--the farthest off o' them a' is my cousin ten times removed,
and day or night I wad hae served them wi' my best blood; and now, I
think they show mair regard to the common thief of Westburnflat than to
their ain kinsman. But I should see the lights now in Heugh-foot--Wae's
me!" he continued, recollecting himself, "there will neither coal nor
candle-light shine in the Heugh-foot ony mair! An it werena for my
mother and sisters, and poor Grace, I could find in my heart to put
spurs to the beast, and loup ower the scaur into the water to make an
end o't a'."--In this disconsolate mood he turned his horse's bridle
towards the cottage in which his family had found refuge.

As he approached the door, he heard whispering and tittering amongst
his sisters. "The deevil's in the women," said poor Hobbie; "they
would nicker, and laugh, and giggle, if their best friend was lying a
corp--and yet I am glad they can keep up their hearts sae weel, poor
silly things; but the dirdum fa's on me, to be sure, and no on them."

While he thus meditated, he was engaged in fastening up his horse in
a shed. "Thou maun do without horse-sheet and surcingle now, lad," he
said, addressing the animal; "you and me hae had a downcome alike; we
had better hae fa'en i, the deepest pool o' Tarras."

He was interrupted by the youngest of his sisters, who came running
out, and, speaking in a constrained voice, as if to stifle some emotion,
called out to him, "What are ye doing there, Hobbie, fiddling about the
naig, and there's ane frae Cumberland been waiting here for ye this hour
and mair? Haste ye in, man; I'll take off the saddle."

"Ane frae Cumberland!" exclaimed Elliot; and putting the bridle of his
horse into the hand of his sister, he rushed into the cottage. "Where is
he? where is he!" he exclaimed, glancing eagerly around, and seeing only
females; "Did he bring news of Grace?"

"He doughtna bide an instant langer," said the elder sister, still with
a suppressed