first　burst　of　her　impatience；　showering　after　him　her　maledictions；　and　in　the　next　invoking　them　on　her　own　head；　so　that　they　might　spare　her　son's。　　She　passed　that　day　and　the　next　in　all　the　vehemence　of　impotent　and　yet　unrestrained　passion；　now　entreating　Heaven；　and　such　powers　as　were　familiar　to　her　by　rude　tradition；　to　restore　her　dear　son；　〃the　calf　of　her　heart；〃　now　in　impatient　resentment；　meditating　with　what　bitter　terms　she　should　rebuke　his　filial　disobedience　upon　his　return；　and　now　studying　the　most　tender　language　to　attach　him　to　the　cottage；　which；　when　her　boy　was　present；　she　would　not；　in　the　rapture　of　her　affection；　have　exchanged　for　the　apartments　of　Taymouth　Castle。
  Two　days　passed；　during　which；　neglecting　even　the　slender　means　of　supporting　nature　which　her　situation　afforded；　nothing　but　the　strength　of　a　frame　accustomed　to　hardships　and　privations　of　every　kind　could　have　kept　her　in　existence；　notwithstanding　the　anguish　of　her　mind　prevented　her　being　sensible　of　her　personal　weakness。　　Her　dwelling　at　this　period　was　the　same　cottage　near　which　I　had　found　her；　but　then　more　habitable　by　the　exertions　of　Hamish；　by　whom　it　had　been　in　a　great　measure　built　and　repaired。
  It　was　on　the　third　day　after　her　son　had　disappeared；　as　she　sat　at　the　door　rocking　herself；　after　the　fashion　of　her　countrywomen　when　in　distress；　or　in　pain；　that　the　then　unwonted　circumstance　occurred　of　a　passenger　being　seen　on　the　highroad　above　the　cottage。　　She　cast　but　one　glance　at　him。　　He　was　on　horseback；　so　that　it　could　not　be　Hamish；　and　Elspat　cared　not　enough　for　any　other　being　on　earth　to　make　her　turn　her　eyes　towards　him　a　second　time。　　The　stranger；　however；　paused　opposite　to　her　cottage；　and　dismounting　from　his　pony；　led　it　down　the　steep　and　broken　path　which　conducted　to　her　door。
  〃God　bless　you；　Elspat　MacTavish！〃　　She　looked　at　the　man　as　he　addressed　her　in　her　native　language；　with　the　displeased　air　of　one　whose　reverie　is　interrupted；　but　the　traveller　went　on　to　say；　〃I　bring　you　tidings　of　your　son　Hamish。〃　　At　once；　from　being　the　most　uninteresting　object；　in　respect　to　Elspat；　that　could　exist；　the　form　of　the　stranger　became　awful　in　her　eyes；　as　that　of　a　messenger　descended　from　heaven；　expressly　to　pronounce　upon　her　death　or　life。　　She　started　from　her　seat；　and　with　hands　convulsively　clasped　together；　and　held　up　to　Heaven；　eyes　fixed　on　the　stranger's　countenance；　and　person　stooping　forward　to　him；　she　looked　those　inquiries　which　her　faltering　tongue　could　not　articulate。　　〃Your　son　sends　you　his　dutiful　remembrance；　and　this；〃　said　the　messenger；　putting　into　Elspat's　hand　a　small　purse　containing　four　or　five　dollars。
  〃He　is　gone！　　he　is　gone！〃　　exclaimed　Elspat；　〃he　has　sold　himself　to　be　the　servant　of　the　Saxons；　and　I　shall　never　more　behold　him！　　Tell　me；　Miles　MacPhadraickfor　now　I　know　youis　it　the　price　of　the　son's　blood　that　you　have　put　into　the　mother's　hand？〃
  〃Now；　God　forbid！〃　　answered　MacPhadraick；　who　was　a　tacksman；　and　had　possession　of　a　considerable　tract　of　ground　under　his　chief；　a　proprietor　who　lived　about　twenty　miles　off〃God　forbid　I　should　do　wrong；　or　say　wrong；　to　you；　or　to　the　son　of　MacTavish　Mhor！　　I　swear　to　you　by　the　hand　of　my　chief　that　your　son　is　well；　and　will　soon　see　you；　and　the　rest　he　will　tell　you　himself。〃　　So　saying；　MacPhadraick　hastened　back　up　the　pathway；　gained　the　road；　mounted　his　pony；　and　rode　upon　his　way。
  CHAPTER　III。
  Elspat　MacTavish　remained　gazing　on　the　money　as　if　the　impress　of　the　coin　could　have　conveyed　information　how　it　was　procured。
  〃I　love　not　this　MacPhadraick；〃　she　said　to　herself。　　〃It　was　his　race　of　whom　the　Bard　hath　spoken；　saying；　Fear　them　not　when　their　words　are　loud　as　the　winter's　wind；　but　fear　them　when　they　fall　on　you　like　the　sound　of　the　thrush's　song。　　And　yet　this　riddle　can　be　read　but　one　way：　　My　son　hath　taken　the　sword　to　win　that；　with　strength　like　a　man；　which　churls　would　keep　him　from　with　the　words　that　frighten　children。〃　　This　idea；　when　once　it　occurred　to　her；　seemed　the　more　reasonable；　that　MacPhadraick；　as　she　well　knew；　himself　a　cautious　man；　had　so　far　encouraged　her　husband's　practices　as　occasionally　to　buy　cattle　of　MacTavish；　although　he　must　have　well　known　how　they　were　come　by；　taking　care；　however；　that　the　transaction　was　so　made　as　to　be　accompanied　with　great　profit　and　absolute　safety。　Who　so　likely　as　MacPhadraick　to　indicate　to　a　young　cateran　the　glen　in　which　he　could　commence　his　perilous　trade　with　most　prospect　of　success？　　Who　so　likely　to　convert　his　booty　into　money？　　The　feelings　which　another　might　have　experienced　on　believing　that　an　only　son　had　rushed　forward　on　the　same　path　in　which　his　father　had　perished；　were　scarce　known　to　the　Highland　mothers　of　that　day。　　She　thought　of　the　death　of　MacTavish　Mhor　as　that　of　a　hero　who　had　fallen　in　his　proper　trade　of　war；　and　who　had　not　fallen　unavenged。　　She　feared　less　for　her　son's　life　than　for　his　dishonour。　　She　dreaded；　on　his　account；　the　subjection　to　strangers；　and　the　death…sleep　of　the　soul　which　is　brought　on　by　what　she　regarded　as　slavery。
  The　moral　principle　which　so　naturally　and　so　justly　occurs　to　the　mind　of　those　who　have　been　educated　under　a　settled　government　of　laws　that　protect　the　property　of　the　weak　against　the　incursions　of　the　strong；　was　to　poor　Elspat　a　book　sealed　and　a　fountain　closed。　　She　had　been　taught　to　consider　those　whom　they　call　Saxons　as　a　race　with　whom　the　Gael　were　constantly　at　war；　and　she　regarded　every　settlement　of　theirs　within　the　reach　of　Highland　incursion　as　affording　a　legitimate　object　of　attack　and　plunder。　　Her　feelings　on　this　point　had　been　strengthened　and　confirmed；　not　only　by　the　desire　of　revenge　for　the　death　of　her　husband；　but　by　the　sense　of　general　indignation　entertained；　not　unjustly；　through　the　Highlands　of　Scotland；　on　account　of　the　barbarous　and　violent　conduct　of　the　victors　after　the　battle　of　Culloden。　　Other　Highland　clans；　too；　she　regarded　as　the　fair　objects　of　plunder；　when　that　was　possible；　upon　the　score　of　ancient　enmities　and　deadly　feuds。
  The　prudence　that　might　have　weighed　the　slender　means　which　the　times　afforded　for　resisting　the　efforts　of　a　combined　government；　which　had；　in　its　less　compact　and　established　authority；　been　unable　to　put　down　the　ravages　of　such　lawless　caterans　as　MacTavish　Mhor；　was　unknown　to　a　solitary　woman　whose　ideas　still　dwelt　upon　her　own　early　times。　　She　imagined　that　her　son　had　only　to　proclaim　himself　his　father's　successor　in　adventure　and　enterprise；　and　that　a　force　of　men；　as　gallant　as　those　who　had　followed　his　father's　banner；　would　crowd　around　to　support　it　when　again　displayed。　　To　her　Hamish　was　the　eagle　who　had　only　to　soar　aloft　and　resume　his　native　place　in　the　skies；　without　her　being　able　to　comprehend　how　many　additional　eyes　would　have　watched　his　flighthow　many　additional　bullets　would　have　been　directed　at　his　bosom。　　To　be　brief；　Elspat　was　one　who　viewed　the　present　state　of　society　with　the　same　feelings　with　which　she　regarded　the　times　that　had　passed　away。　　She　had　been　indigent；　neglected；　oppressed　since　the　days　that　her　husband　had　no　longer　been　feared　and　powerful；　and　she　thought　that　the　term　of　her　ascendence　would　return　when　her　son　had　determined　to　play　the　part　of　his　father。　　If　she　permitted　her　eye　to　glance　farther　into　futurity；　it　was　but　to　anticipate　that　she　must　be　for　many　a　day　cold　in　the　grave；　with　the　coronach　of　her　tribe　cried　duly　over　her；　before　her　fair…haired　Hamish　could；　according　to　her　calculation；　die　with　his　hand　on　the　basket…hilt　of　the　red　claymore。　　His　father's　hair　was　grey；　ere；　after　a　hundred　dangers；　he　had　fallen　with　his　arms　in　his　hands。　　That　she　should　have　seen　and　survived　the　sight　was　a　natural　consequence　of　the　manners　of　that　age。　　And　better　it　wassuch　was　her　proud　thoughtthat　she　had　seen　him　so　die；　than　to　have　witnessed　his　departure　from　life　in　a　smoky　hovel　on　a　bed　of　rotten　straw　like　an　over…worn　hound；　or　a　bullock　which　died　of　disease。　　But　the　hour　of　her　young；　her　brave　Hamish；　was　yet　far　distant。　　He　must　succeedhe　must　conquer　like　his　father。　　And　when　he　fell　at　lengthfor　she　anticipated　for　him　no　bloodless　deathElspat　would　ere　then　have　lain　long　in　the　grave；　and　could　neither　see　his　death…　struggle　nor　mourn　over　his　grave…sod。
  With　such　wild　notions　working　in　her　brain；　the　spirit　of　Elspat　rose　to　its　usual　pitch；　or；　rather；　to　one　which　seemed　higher。　In　the　emphatic　language　of　Scripture；　which　in　that　idiom　does　not　greatly　differ　from　her　own；　she　arose；　she　washed　and　changed　her　apparel；　and　ate　bread；　and　was　refreshed。
  She　longed　eagerly　for　the　return　of　her　son；　but　she　now　longed　not　with　the　bitter　anxiety　of　doubt　and　apprehension。　　She　said　to　herself　that　much　must　be　done　ere　he　could　in　these　times　arise　to　be　an　eminent　and　dreaded　leader。　　Yet　when　she　saw　him　again；　she　almost　expected　him　at　the　head　of　a　daring　band；　with　pipes　playing　and　banners　flying；　the　noble　tartans　fluttering　free　in　the　wind；　in　despite　of　the　laws　which　had　suppressed；　under　severe　penalties；　t