when she died." The ghost was
walking under the fruit-trees, and over the beds where the seeds had been
sown, bending her body downwards, as if she had been seeking somewhat off
the ground, and saying, "A stane! a stane!" Her lap was full of stones; as
some people supposed the stones she cast in the night-time; and these
stones she threw down, as if to harbour them, at a bush-root in the
garden. Isobel Murray, nothing daunted, goes up to her.

"Wow!" says she, "what's thou doing here, Isabel Heriot? I charge thee by
the law thou lives on to tell me."

Says the ghost, "I am come again because I wronged my master when I was
his servant. For it was I that stealed his Shekel (this was a Jewish
shekel of gold which, with some other things, had been stolen from him
several years before), which I hid under the Hearthstone in the Kitching,
and then when I flited took it into the Cannongate, and did offer to sell
it to a French Woman who lodged where I served, who askt where I got it.
I told her I found it between Leith and Edinburgh." Then she went on to
make further confession. Having fyled herself for a thief she went on to
show how she had been also a witch. "One night," says the ghost, "I was
riding home late from the Town, and near the Head of Fanside Brae, the
Horse stumbled, and I said, The Devil raise thee; whereupon the Foul Thief
appeared presently to me, and threatened me, if I would not grant to
destroy my Master the Minister, he would throw me into a deep hole (which
I suppose is yet remaining); or if I could not get power over my master, I
should strive to destroy the Shoolmaster."

"It was very remarkable," says George Sinclair, as a kind of commentary,
"that one of the minister's servant-women had given to the schoolmaster's
servant-woman some Linnings to make clean, among which there was a Cross
cloth of strong Linning, which could never be found, though diligent
search was made for it, till one morning the Master awakening found it
bound round about his Night Cap, which bred admiration both to himself and
his Wife. No more skaith was the Devil or the Witches able to do him. What
way this was done, or for what end it cannot be well known: but it is
somewhat probable that they designed to strangle and destroy him in the
night time, which is their usual time in working and doing of mischief.
This happened about the time (I suppose) that the Devil had charged Isabel
Heriot to destroy this honest man. Yet within