The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Scenes of Lojio- Ago. 419
more deftly, or make a longer leap. The Macilvaines, ori'
the contrary, perhaps owing to the intermarriages of their
families for succeeding generations, were undersized, and
not particularly muscular. But, notwithstanding these
reassuring considerations, sleep scarcely visited Teviot's
eyes that night. He had much at stake on the morrow.
After many hours he must have fallen into a broken
slumber, for he thought he was once more a shepherd ladi
on the braes of Fallowdean ; he beheld the scenes upon
which his eyes first rested, and his whole subsequent life,,
spent for the most part at Glenbeltane, became as though
it were not. When he awoke, he found himself repeating
the touching verses of the ninetieth psalm. His vision had
been so vivid, as to have deeply impressed him with the
idea that some crisis in his life was approaching. So, commending
himself to the God of his fathers, he arose and
wakened Macewen, who still slept soundly in another part
of the room.
" What, Glenbeltane, do you think I dreamt last night ?"
Gaid Gillespie. " Why, this, that with the profits of the
tryst to-day, you bought a property, and got a charter for
it from the King."
" That dream was more comfortable than mine," replied
Mark Teviot, " for I thought I had nothing left over of the
property which God had already bestowed upon me."
By this time the house and neighbourhood were in a
turmoil of confusion. Herds were being driven to the
stance, with the shouting of men and the barking of dogs ;
and, an hour or two afterwards, Mark Teviot was standing
in the raw morning twilight on Teithmuir, beside his cattle,
and in the company of his topsman and Gillespie Mac-
ewen. Gloom rested upon every countenance that fatal
morning. Bad news had come in as to the markets in the
south. There had been, in short, a sudden and great fail
in prices. Glenbeltane's lot was much admired. Mostly-
all the animals were from well known stocks of black
cattle, and they were all in prime condition. But, even.