sted　all　the　exclamations　of　sorrow　which　his　language；　copious　in　expressing　the　feelings　of　the　heart；　affords　to　the　sufferer；　he　sunk　into　a　gloomy　silence；　she　suffered　the　interval　to　continue　near　an　hour　ere　she　approached　her　son's　couch。
  〃And　now；〃　she　said　at　length；　with　a　voice　in　which　the　authority　of　the　mother　was　qualified　by　her　tenderness；　〃have　you　exhausted　your　idle　sorrows；　and　are　you　able　to　place　what　you　have　gained　against　what　you　have　lost？　　Is　the　false　son　of　Dermid　your　brother；　or　the　father　of　your　tribe；　that　you　weep　because　you　cannot　bind　yourself　to　his　belt；　and　become　one　of　those　who　must　do　his　bidding？　　Could　you　find　in　yonder　distant　country　the　lakes　and　the　mountains　that　you　leave　behind　you　here？　　Can　you　hunt　the　deer　of　Breadalbane　in　the　forests　of　America；　or　will　the　ocean　afford　you　the　silver…scaled　salmon　of　the　Awe？　　Consider；　then；　what　is　your　loss；　and；　like　a　wise　man；　set　it　against　what　you　have　won。〃
  〃I　have　lost　all；　mother；〃　replied　Hamish；　〃since　I　have　broken　my　word；　and　lost　my　honour。　　I　might　tell　my　tale；　but　who；　oh；　who　would　believe　me？〃　　The　unfortunate　young　man　again　clasped　his　hands　together；　and；　pressing　them　to　his　forehead；　hid　his　face　upon　the　bed。
  Elspat　was　now　really　alarmed；　and　perhaps　wished　the　fatal　deceit　had　been　left　unattempted。　　She　had　no　hope　or　refuge　saving　in　the　eloquence　of　persuasion；　of　which　she　possessed　no　small　share；　though　her　total　ignorance　of　the　world　as　it　actually　existed　rendered　its　energy　unavailing。　　She　urged　her　son；　by　every　tender　epithet　which　a　parent　could　bestow；　to　take　care　for　his　own　safety。
  〃Leave　me；〃　she　said；　〃to　baffle　your　pursuers。　　I　will　save　your　lifeI　will　save　your　honour。　　I　will　tell　them　that　my　fair…　haired　Hamish　fell　from　the　Corrie　Dhu　（black　precipice）　into　the　gulf；　of　which　human　eye　never　beheld　the　bottom。　　I　will　tell　them　this；　and　I　will　fling　your　plaid　on　the　thorns　which　grow　on　the　brink　of　the　precipice；　that　they　may　believe　my　words。　They　will　believe；　and　they　will　return　to　the　Dun　of　the　double…　crest；　for　though　the　Saxon　drum　can　call　the　living　to　die；　it　cannot　recall　the　dead　to　their　slavish　standard。　　Then　will　we　travel　together　far　northward　to　the　salt　lakes　of　Kintail；　and　place　glens　and　mountains　betwixt　us　and　the　sons　of　Dermid。　　We　will　visit　the　shores　of　the　dark　lake；　and　my　kinsmenfor　was　not　my　mother　of　the　children　of　Kenneth；　and　will　they　not　remember　us　with　the　old　love？my　kinsmen　will　receive　us　with　the　affection　of　the　olden　time；　which　lives　in　those　distant　glens；　where　the　Gael　still　dwell　in　their　nobleness；　unmingled　with　the　churl　Saxons；　or　with　the　base　brood　that　are　their　tools　and　their　slaves。〃
  The　energy　of　the　language；　somewhat　allied　to　hyperbole；　even　in　its　most　ordinary　expressions；　now　seemed　almost　too　weak　to　afford　Elspat　the　means　of　bringing　out　the　splendid　picture　which　she　presented　to　her　son　of　the　land　in　which　she　proposed　to　him　to　take　refuge。　　Yet　the　colours　were　few　with　which　she　could　paint　her　Highland　paradise。　　〃The　hills；〃　she　said；　〃were　higher　and　more　magnificent　than　those　of　BreadalbaneBen　Cruachan　was　but　a　dwarf　to　Skooroora。　　The　lakes　were　broader　and　larger；　and　abounded　not　only　with　fish；　but　with　the　enchanted　and　amphibious　animal　which　gives　oil　to　the　lamp。　＇The　seals　are　considered　by　the　Highlanders　as　enchanted　princes。＇　　The　deer　were　larger　and　more　numerous；　the　white…　tusked　boar；　the　chase　of　which　the　brave　loved　best；　was　yet　to　be　roused　in　those　western　solitudes；　the　men　were　nobler；　wiser；　and　stronger　than　the　degenerate　brood　who　lived　under　the　Saxon　banner。　　The　daughters　of　the　land　were　beautiful；　with　blue　eyes　and　fair　hair；　and　bosoms　of　snow；　and　out　of　these　she　would　choose　a　wife　for　Hamish；　of　blameless　descent；　spotless　fame；　fixed　and　true　affection；　who　should　be　in　their　summer　bothy　as　a　beam　of　the　sun；　and　in　their　winter　abode　as　the　warmth　of　the　needful　fire。〃
  Such　were　the　topics　with　which　Elspat　strove　to　soothe　the　despair　of　her　son；　and　to　determine　him；　if　possible；　to　leave　the　fatal　spot；　on　which　he　seemed　resolved　to　linger。　　The　style　of　her　rhetoric　was　poetical；　but　in　other　respects　resembled　that　which；　like　other　fond　mothers；　she　had　lavished　on　Hamish；　while　a　child　or　a　boy；　in　order　to　gain　his　consent　to　do　something　he　had　no　mind　to；　and　she　spoke　louder；　quicker；　and　more　earnestly；　in　proportion　as　she　began　to　despair　of　her　words　carrying　conviction。
  On　the　mind　of　Hamish　her　eloquence　made　no　impression。　　He　knew　far　better　than　she　did　the　actual　situation　of　the　country；　and　was　sensible　that；　though　it　might　be　possible　to　hide　himself　as　a　fugitive　among　more　distant　mountains；　there　was　now　no　corner　in　the　Highlands　in　which　his　father's　profession　could　be　practised；　even　if　he　had　not　adopted；　from　the　improved　ideas　of　the　time　when　he　lived；　the　opinion　that　the　trade　of　the　cateran　was　no　longer　the　road　to　honour　and　distinction。　　Her　words　were　therefore　poured　into　regardless　ears；　and　she　exhausted　herself　in　vain　in　the　attempt　to　paint　the　regions　of　her　mother's　kinsmen　in　such　terms　as　might　tempt　Hamish　to　accompany　her　thither。　　She　spoke　for　hours；　but　she　spoke　in　vain。　　She　could　extort　no　answer；　save　groans　and　sighs　and　ejaculations；　expressing　the　extremity　of　despair。
  At　length；　starting　on　her　feet；　and　changing　the　monotonous　tone　in　which　she　had　chanted；　as　it　were；　the　praises　of　the　province　of　refuge；　into　the　short；　stern　language　of　eager　passion〃I　am　a　fool；〃　she　said；　〃to　spend　my　words　upon　an　idle；　poor…　spirited；　unintelligent　boy；　who　crouches　like　a　hound　to　the　lash。　　Wait　here；　and　receive　your　taskmasters；　and　abide　your　chastisement　at　their　hands；　but　do　not　think　your　mother's　eyes　will　behold　it。　　I　could　not　see　it　and　live。　　My　eyes　have　looked　often　upon　death；　but　never　upon　dishonour。　　Farewell；　Hamish！　　We　never　meet　again。〃
  She　dashed　from　the　hut　like　a　lapwing；　and　perhaps　for　the　moment　actually　entertained　the　purpose　which　she　expressed；　of　parting　with　her　son　for　ever。　　A　fearful　sight　she　would　have　been　that　evening　to　any　who　might　have　met　her　wandering　through　the　wilderness　like　a　restless　spirit；　and　speaking　to　herself　in　language　which　will　endure　no　translation。　　She　rambled　for　hours；　seeking　rather　than　shunning　the　most　dangerous　paths。　The　precarious　track　through　the　morass；　the　dizzy　path　along　the　edge　of　the　precipice　or　by　the　banks　of　the　gulfing　river；　were　the　roads　which；　far　from　avoiding；　she　sought　with　eagerness；　and　traversed　with　reckless　haste。　　But　the　courage　arising　from　despair　was　the　means　of　saving　the　life　which　（though　deliberate　suicide　was　rarely　practised　in　the　Highlands）　she　was　perhaps　desirous　of　terminating。　　Her　step　on　the　verge　of　the　precipice　was　firm　as　that　of　the　wild　goat。　　Her　eye；　in　that　state　of　excitation；　was　so　keen　as　to　discern；　even　amid　darkness；　the　perils　which　noon　would　not　have　enabled　a　stranger　to　avoid。
  Elspat's　course　was　not　directly　forward；　else　she　had　soon　been　far　from　the　bothy　in　which　she　had　left　her　son。　　It　was　circuitous；　for　that　hut　was　the　centre　to　which　her　heartstrings　were　chained；　and　though　she　wandered　around　it；　she　felt　it　impossible　to　leave　the　vicinity。　　With　the　first　beams　of　morning　she　returned　to　the　hut。　　Awhile　she　paused　at　the　wattled　door；　as　if　ashamed　that　lingering　fondness　should　have　brought　her　back　to　the　spot　which　she　had　left　with　the　purpose　of　never　returning；　but　there　was　yet　more　of　fear　and　anxiety　in　her　hesitationof　anxiety；　lest　her　fair…haired　son　had　suffered　from　the　effects　of　her　potionof　fear；　lest　his　enemies　had　come　upon　him　in　the　night。　　She　opened　the　door　of　the　hut　gently；　and　entered　with　noiseless　step。　　Exhausted　with　his　sorrow　and　anxiety；　and　not　entirely　relieved　perhaps　from　the　influence　of　the　powerful　opiate；　Hamish　Bean　again　slept　the　stern；　sound　sleep　by　which　the　Indians　are　said　to　be　overcome　during　the　interval　of　their　torments。　　His　mother　was　scarcely　sure　that　she　actually　discerned　his　form　on　the　bed；　scarce　certain　that　her　ear　caught　the　sound　of　his　breathing。　　With　a　throbbing　heart；　Elspat　went　to　the　fireplace　in　the　centre　of　the　hut；　where　slumbered；　covered　with　a　piece　of　turf；　the　glimmering　embers　of　the　fire；　never　extinguished　on　a　Scottish　hearth　until　the　indwellers　leave　the　mansion　for　ever。
  〃Feeble　greishogh；〃　＇Greishogh；　a　glowing　ember。＇　she　said；　as　she　lighted；　by　the　help　of　a　match；　a　splinter　of　bog　pine　which　was　to　serve　the　place　of　a　candle〃weak　greishogh；　soon　shalt　thou　be　put　out　for　ever；　and　may　Heaven　grant　that　the　life　of　Elspat　MacTavish　have　no　longer　duration　than　thine！〃
  While　she　spoke　she　raised　the　blazing　light　towards　the　bed；　on　which　still　lay　the　prostrate　limbs　of　her　son；　in　a　posture　that　left　it　doubtful　whether　he　slept　or　swooned。　　As　she　advanced　towards　him；　the　light　flashed　upon　his　eyeshe　started　up　in　an　instant；　made　a　stride　forward　with　his　naked　dirk　in　his　hand；　like　a　man　armed　to　meet　a　mortal　enemy；　and　exclaimed；　〃Stand　off！on　thy　life；　stand　off！〃
  〃It　is　the　word　and　t