e dead bride, and the Kelpie's quicksand? Aweel! a wilful man maun
hae his way: he that will to Cupar maun to Cupar. But pity of your life,
sir, if ye be fowling or shooting in the Park, beware of drinking at the
Mermaiden's Well--He's gane! he's down the path arrow-flight after her!
The head is as clean taen aff the Ravenswood family this day as I wad
chap the head aff a sybo!"

The old butler looked long after his master, often clearing away the dew
as it rose to his eyes, that he might, as long as possible, distinguish
his stately form from those of the other horsemen. "Close to her
bridle-rein--ay, close to her bridle-rein! Wisely saith the holy man,
'By this also you may know that woman hath dominion over all men'; and
without this lass would not our ruin have been a'thegither fulfilled."

With a heart fraught with such sad auguries did Caleb return to
his necessary duties at Wofl's Crag, as soon as he could no longer
distinguish the object of his anxiety among the group of riders, which
diminished in the distance.

In the mean time the party pursued their route joyfully. Having once
taken his resolution, the Master of Ravenswood was not of a character to
hesitate or pause upon it. He abandoned himself to the pleasure he felt
in Miss Ashton's company, and displayed an assiduous gallantry which
approached as nearly to gaiety as the temper of his mind and state of
his family permitted. The Lord Keeper was much struck with his depth of
observation, and the unusual improvement which he had derived from his
studies. Of these accomplishments Sir William Ashton's profession and
habits of society rendered him an excellent judge; and he well knew how
to appreciate a quality to which he himself was a total stranger--the
brief and decided dauntlessness of the Master of Ravenswood's fear. In
his heart the Lord Keeper rejoiced at having conciliated an adversary
so formidable, while, with a mixture of pleasure and anxiety, he
anticipated the great things his young companion might achieve, were the
breath of court-favour to fill his sails.

"What could she desire," he thought, his mind always conjuring
up opposition in the person of Lady Ashton to his new prevailing
wish--"what could a woman desire in a match more than the sopiting of
a very dangerous claim, and the alliance of a son-in-law, noble, brave,
well-gifted, and highly connected; sure to float whenever the tide
sets his way; strong, exactly where we are weak, in pedi