led, and, endeavouring to
catch it in his arms, he exclaimed--

"Jenny, ye daft limmer, what set ye to playin thae mad pranks at this
time o' nicht?"

In this emergency the ghost, confused as it was, contrived to make its
escape; but not before it had thrown the winding-sheet which it wore
around the very woman for whom he had mistaken it. By some "cantrip
slight," it had no doubt brought her there to be ready in case of
accidents, and it now left her to be caught in its stead. Jenny, not
being a ghost, could not escape so easily; and, though she struggled
a little when she found herself in the arms of a man, she did not
appear extremely anxious to get away, while Sandy was so much pleased
at having got her by herself at last, that he soon forgot the terrors
of the ghost.

"Jenny," he continued, still mistaking her for his spiritual visiter,
"if I hadna _liket_ ye better than every ither living cratur, since ye
was a lassie, I declare I would never kenned ye dressed up as ye are
in a' that trumpery. But now that I've gotten ye, I maun keep ye, for
I've been wishing to tell ye something this lang time; but ye aye ran
frae me as if I had been a _ghost_, though ye see I've catched you
when ye was tryin to act ane."

The candle which the ghost had left was now placed in a candlestick;
and as Jenny appeared perfectly willing to listen to whatever he might
have to say, he proceeded to give her such information as served in a
great measure to clear up the whole of the mystery.

Though he had been long attached to her, and had felt a growing
inclination to call her his wife, his mother's death had prevented him
from speaking of the subject for a time. During this interval, Betsy
Braikens had come oftener than once, soliciting assistance for her
brother; upon these occasions, he had always given her what
ready-money he could command, and, at last, to save him from
bankruptcy, he had become security for a hundred pounds, which was
considerably more than his whole effects were worth. No sooner had he
done this than he began to doubt the possibility of his cousin ever
being able to redeem his debts; in which case his own prospects were
ruined. The idea that it would be criminal to involve an unsuspecting
female in misery and poverty made him resolve to say nothing of his
affections, till he should see what was to be the issue; and for a
time he had kept his resolution. But he had determined to make a
candid confession of his