dwarfs, called, in Zetland, Trows or Drows, the modern fairies, and so forth.

Ainong those who were supposed to be in league with disembodied spirits, this Norna, descended from, and representative of a family which had long pretended to such gifts, was so eminent, that the name assigned to her, which signifies one of those fatal sisters who weave the web of human fate, had been conferred in honour of her supernatural powers. The name by which she had been actually christened was carefully concealed by herself and her parents; for to the discovery they superstitiously annexed some fatal consequences. In these times, the doubt only occurred whether her supposed powers were acquired by lawful means. In our days, it would have been questioned whether she was an impostor, or whether her imagination was so deeply impressed with the mysteries of her supposed art, that she might be in some degree a believer in her own pretensions to supernatural knowledge. Certain it is, that she performed her part with such undoubting confidence, and such striking dignity of look and action, and evinced, at the same time,

such strength of language, and such energy of purpose, that it would have been difficult for the greatest sceptic to have doubted the reality of her enthusiasm, though he might smile at the pretensions to which it gave rise.

CHAPTER VI.

“If, by your art, you have

Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them."

Tempest.

THE storm had somewhat relaxed its rigour. just before the entrance of Norna, otherwise she must have found it impossible to travel during the extremity of its fury. But she had hardly added herself so unexpectedly to the party whom chance had assembled at the dwelling of Triptolemus Yellowley, when the tempest suddenly resumed its former vehemence, and raged around the building with a fury which made the inmates insensible to any thing except the risk that the old mansion was about to fall above their heads.

Mistress Baby gave vent to her fears in loud exclamations of "the Lord guide us-this is surely the last day—what kind of a country of guisards and gyre-carlines is this!—and you, ye

fool carle," she added, turning on her brother, for all her passions had a touch of acidity in them, " to quit the bonny Mearns land to come here, where there is naething but sturdy beggars and gaberlunzies within ane's house, and heaven's anger on the outside on't !"

"I tell you, sister Baby," answered the insulted agriculturist, "that all shall be reformed and amended, excepting," he added betwixt his teeth, "the scaulding humours of an ill-natured jaud, that can add bitterness to the very storm."

The old domestic and the pedlar meanwhile exhausted themselves in entreaties to Norna, of which, as they were couched in the Norse language, the master of the house understood nothing.

She listened to them with a haughty and unmoved air, and replied at length aloud, and in English-"I will not. What if this house be strewed in ruins before morning-where would be the world's want in the crazed projector, and the niggardly pinch-commons, by which it is inhabited? They will needs come to reform Zetland customs, let them try how they like a Zetland

storm.-You that would not perish, quit this house."

The pedlar or jagger seized on his little knapsack, and began hastily to brace it on his back; the old maid-servant cast her cloak about her shoulders, and both seemed to be in the act of leaving the house.

Triptolemus Yellowley, somewhat commoved by these appearances, asked Mordaunt, with a voice which faultered with apprehension, whether he thought there was any, that is, so very much danger?

"I cannot tell," answered the youth, " I have scarce ever seen such a storm. Norna can tell us better than any one when it will abate; for no one in these islands can judge of the weather like her."

"And is that all thou thinkest Norna can do ?"

said the sybil; "thou shalt know her powers

are not bounded within such a narrow space. Hear me, Mordaunt, youth of a foreign land, but of a friendly heart-Doest thou quit this doomed mansion with those who now prepare to leave it ?"