ot of clear ground extended round the foot of a
proud-browed rock, from the summit of which leaped a mountain stream in
a fall of sixty feet, in which it was dissolved into foam and dew. At
the bottom of the fall the rivulet with difficulty collected, like a
routed general, its dispersed forces, and, as if tamed by its descent,
found a noiseless passage through the heath to join the Awe.

I was much struck with the tree and waterfall, and wished myself nearer
them; not that I thought of sketch-book or portfolio--for in my younger
days misses were not accustomed to black-lead pencils, unless they
could use them to some good purpose--but merely to indulge myself with a
closer view. Donald immediately opened the chaise door, but observed it
was rough walking down the brae, and that I would see the tree better by
keeping the road for a hundred yards farther, when it passed closer to
the spot, for which he seemed, however, to have no predilection. "He
knew," he said, "a far bigger tree than that nearer Bunawe, and it was
a place where there was flat ground for the carriage to stand, which it
could jimply do on these braes; but just as my leddyship liked."

My ladyship did choose rather to look at the fine tree before me than to
pass it by in hopes of a finer; so we walked beside the carriage till we
should come to a point, from which, Donald assured us, we might, without
scrambling, go as near the tree as we chose, "though he wadna advise us
to go nearer than the highroad."

There was something grave and mysterious in Donald's sun-browned
countenance when he gave us this intimation, and his manner was so
different from his usual frankness, that my female curiosity was set in
motion. We walked on the whilst, and I found the tree, of which we had
now lost sight by the intervention of some rising ground, was really
more distant than I had at first supposed. "I could have sworn now,"
said I to my cicerone, "that yon tree and waterfall was the very place
where you intended to make a stop to-day."

"The Lord forbid!" said Donald hastily.

"And for what, Donald? Why should you be willing to pass so pleasant a
spot?"

"It's ower near Dalmally, my leddy, to corn the beasts; it would bring
their dinner ower near their breakfast, poor things. An' besides, the
place is not canny."

"Oh! then the mystery is out. There is a bogle or a brownie, a witch or
a gyre-carlin, a bodach or a fairy, in the case?"

"The ne'er a bit, my ledd