verb._

Belike, gentle reader, thou hast often heard the proverb quoted above,
that "Every bannock had its maik, but the bannock o' Tollishill." The
saying hath its origin in a romantic tradition of the Lammermoors, which
I shall relate to thee. Tollishill is the name of a sheep-farm in
Berwickshire, situated in the parish of Lauder. Formerly, it was divided
into three farms, which were occupied by different tenants; and, by way
of distinguishing it from the others, that in which dwelt the subjects
of our present story was generally called Midside, and our heroine
obtained the appellation of Midside Maggy. Tollishill was the property
of John, second Earl, and afterwards Duke of Lauderdale--a personage
whom I shall more than once, in these tales, have occasion to bring
before mine readers, and whose character posterity hath small cause to
hold in veneration. Yet it is a black character, indeed, in which there
is not to be found one streak of sunshine; and the story of the "Bannock
of Tollishill" referreth to such a streak in the history of John, the
Lord of Thirlestane.

Time hath numbered somewhat more than a hundred and ninety years since
Thomas Hardie became tenant of the principal farm of Tollishill. Now,
that the reader may picture Thomas Hardie as he was, and as tradition
hath described him, he or she must imagine a tall, strong, and
fresh-coloured man of fifty; a few hairs of grey mingling with his brown
locks; a countenance expressive of much good nature and some
intelligence; while a Lowland bonnet was drawn over his brow. The other
parts of his dress were of coarse, grey, homespun cloth, manufactured in
Earlston; and across his shoulders, in summer as well as in winter, he
wore the mountain plaid. His principles assimilated to those held by the
men of the covenant; but Thomas, though a native of the hills, was not
without the worldly prudence which is considered as being more
immediately the characteristic of the buying and selling children of
society. His landlord was no favourer of the Covenant; and, though
Thomas wished well to the cause, he did not see the necessity for making
his laird, the Lord of Lauderdale, his enemy for its sake. He,
therefore, judged it wise to remain a neutral spectator of the religious
and political struggles of the period.

But Thomas was a bachelor. Half a century had he been in the world, and
the eyes of no woman had had power to throw a spark into his heart. In
his single,