"
"Ou, the best and the warst is, just that the tower is standing hail and
feir, as safe and as empty as when ye left it."
"Indeed! and the fire?" said Ravenswood. "Not a gleed of fire, then,
except the bit kindling peat, and maybe a spunk in Mysie's cutty-pipe,"
replied Caleb.
"But the flame?" demanded Ravenswood--"the broad blaze which might have
been seen ten miles off--what occasioned that?"
"Hout awa'! it's an auld saying and a true--
Little's the light Will be seen far in a mirk night.
A wheen fern and horse little that I fired in the courtyard, after
sending back the loon of a footman; and, to speak Heaven's truth, the
next time that ye send or bring ony body here, let them ge gentles
allenarly, without ony fremd servants, like that chield Lockhard, to
be gledging and gleeing about, and looking upon the wrang side of ane's
housekeeping, to the discredit of the family, and forcing ane to damn
their souls wi' telling ae lee after another faster than I can count
them: I wad rather set fire to the tower in gude earnest, and burn it
ower my ain head into the bargain, or I see the family dishonoured in
the sort.
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