which had still the air of an avenue, though many
of the trees were felled. The roar of the ocean was now near and full,
and the moon, which began to make her appearance, gleamed on a turreted
and apparently a ruined mansion of considerable extent. Mannering fixed
his eyes upon it with a disconsolate sensation.

'Why, my little fellow,' he said, 'this is a ruin, not a house?'

'Ah, but the lairds lived there langsyne; that's Ellangowan Auld Place.
There's a hantle bogles about it; but ye needna be feared, I never saw
ony mysell, and we're just at the door o' the New Place.'

Accordingly, leaving the ruins on the right, a few steps brought the
traveller in front of a modern house of moderate size, at which his guide
rapped with great importance. Mannering told his circumstances to the
servant; and the gentleman of the house, who heard his tale from the
parlour, stepped forward and welcomed the stranger hospitably to
Ellangowan. The boy, made happy with half-a-crown, was dismissed to his
cottage, the weary horse was conducted to a stall, and Mannering found
himself in a few minutes seated by a comfortable supper, for which his
cold ride gave him a hearty appetite.

CHAPTER II

Comes me cranking in,
And cuts me from the best of all my land
A huge half-moon, a monstrous cantle, out

Henry IV, Part 1.
The company in the parlour at Ellangowan consisted of the Laird and a
sort of person who might be the village schoolmaster, or perhaps the
minister's assistant; his appearance was too shabby to indicate the
minister, considering he was on a visit to the Laird.

The Laird himself was one of those second-rate sort of persons that are
to be found frequently in rural situations. Fielding has described one
class as feras consumere nati; but the love of field-sports indicates a
certain activity of mind, which had forsaken Mr. Bertram, if ever he
possessed it. A good-humoured listlessness of countenance formed the only
remarkable expression of his features, although they were rather handsome
than otherwise. In fact, his physiognomy indicated the inanity of
character which pervaded his life. I will give the reader some insight
into his state and conversation before he has finished a long lecture to
Mannering upon the propriety and comfort of wrapping his stirrup-irons
round with a wisp of straw when he had occasion to ride in a chill
evening.

Godfrey Bertram of Ellangowan succeeded to a lo