since I am myself lying crushed and writhing under the chariot-wheel?"

"Ye may have lost all this," answered Hobbie, in the bitterness of
emotion; "land and friends, goods and gear; ye may hae lost them
a',--but ye ne'er can hae sae sair a heart as mine, for ye ne'er lost
nae Grace Armstrong. And now my last hopes are gane, and I shall ne'er
see her mair."

This he said in the tone of deepest emotion--and there followed a long
pause, for the mention of his bride's name had overcome the more angry
and irritable feelings of poor Hobbie. Ere he had again addressed the
Solitary, the bony hand and long fingers of the latter, holding a large
leathern bag, was thrust forth at the small window, and as it unclutched
the burden, and let it drop with a clang upon the ground, his harsh
voice again addressed Elliot.

"There--there lies a salve for every human ill; so, at least, each human
wretch readily thinks.--Begone; return twice as wealthy as thou wert
before yesterday, and torment me no more with questions, complaints, or
thanks; they are alike odious to me."

"It is a' gowd, by Heaven!" said Elliot, having glanced at the contents;
and then again addressing the Hermit, "Muckle obliged for your goodwill;
and I wad blithely gie you a bond for some o' the siller, or a wadset
ower the lands o' Wideopen. But I dinna ken, Elshie; to be free wi' you,
I dinna like to use siller unless I kend it was decently come by; and
maybe it might turn into sclate-stanes, and cheat some poor man."

"Ignorant idiot!" retorted the Dwarf; "the trash is as genuine poison as
ever was dug out of the bowels of the earth. Take it--use it, and may it
thrive with you as it hath done with me!"

"But I tell you," said Elliot, "it wasna about the gear that I was
consulting you,--it was a braw barn-yard, doubtless, and thirty head of
finer cattle there werena on this side of the Catrail; but let the
gear gang,--if ye could but gie me speerings o' puir Grace, I would
be content to be your slave for life, in onything that didna touch my
salvation. O, Elshie, speak, man, speak!"

"Well, then," answered the Dwarf, as if worn out by his importunity,
"since thou hast not enough of woes of thine own, but must needs seek to
burden thyself with those of a partner, seek her whom thou hast lost in
the WEST."

"In the WEST? That's a wide word."

"It is the last," said the Dwarf, "which I design to utter;" and he drew
the shutters of his window, leaving Hobbie t