gs to her father and mother.

Only a few nights before had Phemy been taken to the room where they
found her. She had been carried from place to place, and had been some
time, she believed, in Mrs. Catanach's own house. They had always kept
her in the dark, and removed her at night blindfolded. When asked if
she had never cried out before, she said she had been too frightened;
and when questioned as to what had made her do so then, she knew
nothing of it: she remembered only that a horrible creature appeared
by the bedside, after which all was blank. On the floor they found
a hideous death-mask, doubtless the cause of the screams which Mrs.
Catanach had sought to stifle with the pillows and bed-clothes.

When Malcolm returned he went at once to the piper's cottage, where
he found him in bed, utterly exhausted and as utterly restless. "Weel,
daddy," he said, "I doobt I daurna come near ye noo."

"Come to her arms, my poor poy," faltered Duncan. "She'll pe sorry in
her sore heart for her poy. Nefer you pe minding, my son: you couldn't
help ta Cam'ell mother, and you'll pe her own poy however. Ochone! it
will pe a plot upon you aal your tays, my son, and she'll not can help
you, and it'll pe preaking her old heart."

"Gien God thoucht the Cam'ells worth makin', daddy, I dinna see 'at I
hae ony richt to compleen 'at I cam' o' them."

"She hopes you'll pe forgifing ta plind old man, however. She couldn't
see, or she would haf known at once petter."

"I dinna ken what ye're efter noo, daddy," said Malcolm.

"That she'll do you a creat wrong, and she'll be ferry sorry for it,
my son."

"What wrang did ye ever du me, daddy?"

"That she was let you crow up a Cam'ell, my poy. If she tid put know
ta paad blood was pe in you, she wouldn't pe tone you ta wrong as
pring you up."

"That's a wrang no ill to forgi'e, daddy. But it's a pity ye didna
lat me lie, for maybe syne Mistress Catanach wad hae broucht me up
hersel', an' I micht hae come to something."

"Ta duvil mhor (_great_) would pe in your heart and prain and poosom,
my son."

"Weel, ye see what ye hae saved me frae."

"Yes; put ta duvil will be to pay, for she couldn't safe you from ta
Cam'ell plood, my son. Malcolm, my poy," he added after a pause, and
with the solemnity of a mighty hate, "ta efil woman herself will pe a
Cam'ell--ta woman Catanach will pe a Cam'ell, and her nainsel' she'll
not know it pefore she'll be in ta ped with ta worstest Cam'ell tat