The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

7i8 The Highland Monthly.
" An' it's Jier ghaist, Master David— it's her ghaist," said
John in a stage whisper, his eyes staring in his head—for,
Hke his class, he believed in, and had a wholesome dread
of ghosts, goblins, and every other suppositious tenant of
the Unseen World.
" Not an unusual form of hallucination, John, when the
mind is both wicked and diseased."
" But, sir, whaever heard tell o' a ghaist bein' seen in
broad daylicht—the thing's preposterous," argued John, in
the confusion of his mind on the subject.
" Daylight or dark, the brain conjures up its own
phantoms, John. Now go, please."
" But I hav'na telt ye the queerest point o' the matter,"
John persisted, " I heard her wi' my ain lugs cryin' that
Miss Flora was askin' her to save her life."
" She saved Elspeth's life some time ago— perhaps the
poor, wicked creature has some qualms of conscience in the
matter. She treated Miss Flora horribly on that occasion,
I recollect."
" Jist listen tae her haverin's, sir, as I said, there's some-
thing sae awfu' terrible an' queer aboot them. The auld
thing, rheumatism an' a', came skelpin' across the "field like
a fox wi' a score o' dogs at her heels. She cast her een
ower her shoulders ever noo an' agin, an' at every look she
gave sic an unearthly skirl ! She made straight for the
blacksmith's shop, yell in' at the tap o' her vice, 'she's
huntin' me !—her ghaist's huntin' me !—tak' her awa !
Look ! she's at the door ! shut it, smith—shut it !' The
smith, thinkin' some mischief was on, ran tae the smithy
door and shut it wi' a bang. Then the Witch gave a
fearfu' yell. ' She's comin' through the door ! Look
!'" Look An
wi' thae words, she ran ahint the
smith 'an' cooried doon, clutching at his legs, an'
screechin' till the hale neighbours were a' gethered
roon' the door thinkin' there was murder goin'
on. 'What d'ye see, ye glacket auld fule?' asked
the smith. ' Miss Flora o' the Castle,' was the Witch's
!