yonder, abune some ane of the Ravenswoods; for
there is mony of their kin and followers here, deil lift them! though it
isna just their main burial-place."

"They are no favourites, then, of yours, these Ravenswoods?" said the
Master, no much pleased with the passing benediction which was thus
bestowed on his family and name.

"I kenna wha should favour them," said the grave-digger; "when they
had lands and power, they were ill guides of them baith, and now their
head's down, there's few care how lang they may be of lifting it again."

"Indeed!" said Ravenswood; "I never heard that this unhappy family
deserved ill-will at the hands of their country. I grant their poverty,
if that renders them contemptible."

"It will gang a far way till't" said the sexton of Hermitage, "ye may
tak my word for that; at least, I ken naething else that suld mak myself
contemptible, and folk are far frae respecting me as they wad do if I
lived in a twa-lofted sclated house. But as for the Ravenswoods, I hae
seen three generations of them, and deil ane to mend other."

"I thought they had enjoyed a fair character in the country," said their
descendant.

"Character! Ou, ye see, sir," said the sexton, "as for the auld gudesire
body of a lord, I lived on his land when I was a swanking young chield,
and could hae blawn the trumpet wi' ony body, for I had wind eneugh
then; and touching this trumpeter Marine that I have heard play afore
the lords of the circuit, I wad hae made nae mair o' him than of a bairn
and a bawbee whistle. I defy him to hae played 'Boot and saddle,'
or 'Horse and away,' or 'Gallants, come trot,' with me; he hadna the
tones."

"But what is all this to old Lord Ravenswood, my friend?" said the
Master, who, with an anxiety not unnatural in his circumstances, was
desirous of prosecuting the musician's first topic--"what had his memory
to do with the degeneracy of the trumpet music?"

"Just this, sir," answered the sexton, "that I lost my wind in his
service. Ye see I was trumpeter at the castle, and had allowance for
blawing at break of day, and at dinner time, and other whiles when
there was company about, and it pleased my lord; and when he raised his
militia to caper awa' to Bothwell Brig against the wrang-headed westland
Whigs, I behoved, reason or name, to munt a horse and caper awa' wi'
them."

"And very reasonable," said Ravenswood; "you were his servant and
vassal."

"Servitor, say ye?" replied the sexton,