s; and, after a surly
good-morning, Hatteraick retired with the gipsy to that part of the ruins
from which he had first made his appearance. A very narrow staircase here
went down to the beach, intended probably for the convenience of the
garrison during a siege. By this stair the couple, equally amiable in
appearance and respectable by profession, descended to the sea-side. The
soi-disant captain embarked in a small boat with two men, who appeared to
wait for him, and the gipsy remained on the shore, reciting or singing,
and gesticulating with great vehemence.

CHAPTER IV
You have fed upon my seignories,
Dispark'd my parks, and fell'd my forest woods,
From mine own windows torn my household coat,
Razed out my impress, leaving me no sign,
Save men's opinions and my living blood,
To show the world I am a gentleman.

Richard II.

When the boat which carried the worthy captain on board his vessel had
accomplished that task, the sails began to ascend, and the ship was got
under way. She fired three guns as a salute to the house of Ellangowan,
and then shot away rapidly before the wind, which blew off shore, under
all the sail she could crowd.

'Ay, ay,' said the Laird, who had sought Mannering for some time, and now
joined him, 'there they go--there go the free-traders--there go Captain
Dirk Hatteraick and the Yungfrauw Hagenslaapen, half Manks, half
Dutchman, half devil! run out the boltsprit, up mainsail, top and
top-gallant sails, royals, and skyscrapers, and away--follow who can!
That fellow, Mr. Mannering, is the terror of all the excise and
custom-house cruisers; they can make nothing of him; he drubs them, or he
distances them;--and, speaking of excise, I come to bring you to
breakfast; and you shall have some tea, that--'

Mannering by this time was aware that one thought linked strangely on to
another in the concatenation of worthy Mr. Bertram's ideas,

Like orient pearls at random strung;

and therefore, before the current of his associations had drifted farther
from the point he had left, he brought him back by some inquiry about
Dirk Hatteraick.

'O he's a--a--gude sort of blackguard fellow eneugh; naebody cares to
trouble him--smuggler, when his guns are in ballast--privateer, or
pirate, faith, when he gets them mounted. He has done more mischief to
the revenue folk than ony rogue that ever came out of Ramsay.'

'But, my good sir, such being his