sand, approached Bryce with a menacing gesture, and exclaimed, "You cold-blooded inhuman rascal! either get up instantly and lend me your assistance to recover this man, and bear him out of danger from the surf, or I will not only beat you to a mummy on the spot, but inform Magnus Troil of your thievery, that he may have you flogged till your bones are bare, and then banish you from the main island.”

The lid of the chest had just sprung open as this rough address saluted Bryce's ears, and the inside presented a tempting view of wearing apparel for sea and land; shirts, plain and with lace ruffles, a silver compass, a silver-hilted sword, and other valuable articles, which the pedlar well knew to be such as stir in the trade. He was half-disposed to start up, draw the sword, which was a cut and-thrust, and "darraign battaile," as Spenser says, rather than quit his prize, or brook interruption. Being, though short, a stout square-made personage, and not much past the prime of life, having besides the better weapon, he might have given Mordaunt more trouble than his benevolent knight-errantry deserved.

Already, as with vehemence he repeated his injunctions that Bryce should forbear his plunder, and come to the assistance of the dying man, the pedlar retorted with a voice of defiance, "Dinna swear, sir; dinna swear, sir-I will endure no swearing in my presence; and if you lay a finger on me, that am taking the lawful spoil of the Egyptians, I will give ye a lesson ye shall remember from this day to Yule."

Mordaunt would speedily have put the pedlar's courage to the test, but a voice behind him suddenly said, "Forbear!" It was the voice of Norna of the Fitful-head, who, during the heat of their altercation, had approached them unobserved. "Forbear," she repeated; "and, Bryce, do thou render Mordaunt the assistance he requires; it shall avail thee more, and it is I who say the word, than all that you could earn to-day besides."

"It is seenteen hundred linen," said the pedlar, giving a tweak to one of the shirts, in that knowing manner with which matrons and judges ascertain the texture of the loom; "it is seenteen hundred linen, and as strong as an it were dowlas.

Nevertheless, mother, your bidding is to be done; and I would have done Mr Mordaunt's bidding too," he added, relaxing from his note of defiance, into the deferential whining tone with which he cajoled his customers, "if he hadna made use of profane oaths, which made my very flesh grue, and caused me, in some sort, to forget myself." He then took a flask from his pocket, and approached the shipwrecked man. "It's the best of brandy," he

66

said; and if that does na cure him, I ken nought that will." So saying, he took a preliminary gulp himself, as if to shew the quality of the liquor, and was about to put it to the man's mouth, when suddenly withholding his hand, he looked at Norna-"You insure me against all risk of evil from him, if I am to render him my help?-Ye ken yoursel what folks say, mother."

For all other answer, Norna took the bottle from the pedlar's hand, and began to chafe the temples and throat of the shipwrecked man; directing Mordaunt how to hold his head, so as to afford him the means of disgorging the

sea-water which he had swallowed during his immersion.

The pedlar looked on inactive for a moment, and then said, "To be sure there is not the same risk in helping him now he is out of the water, and lying high and dry on the beach; and, to be sure, the principal danger is, to those that first touch him; and, to be sure, it is a world's pity to see how these rings are pinching the puir creature's swald fingers—they make his hand as blue as a partan's back before boiling." So saying, he seized one of the man's cold hands, which had just, by a tremulous motion, indicated the return of life, and began his charitable work of removing the rings, which seemed to be of some value.

"As you love your life, forbear," said Norna sternly," or I will lay that on you which shall spoil your travels through the isles.”

Now, for mercy's sake, mother, say nae mair about it," said the pedlar, " and I'll e'en do your pleasure in your ain way. I did feel a rheumatize in my back-spauld yestreen; and it wad be a sair thing for the like of me to be

debarred my quiet walk round the country, in the way of trade-making the honest penny, and helping myself with what Providence sends son our coasts."

66

66

Peace, then," said the woman- Peace, as thou wouldst not rue it; and take this man on thy broad shoulders. His life is of value, and you will be rewarded."

"I had muckle need," said the pedlar, pensively looking at the lidless chest, and the other matters which strewed the sand; "for he has comed between me and as mickle spreacherie as wad hae made a man of mc for the rest of my life; and now it maun lie herë till the next tide sweep it a' doun the Roost, after them that aught it yesterday morning."

"Fear not," said Norna, "it will come to man's use. See, there come carrion-crows, of scent as keen as thine own."

She spoke truly, for several of the people from the hamlet of Jarlshof were now hastening along the beach, to have their share in the spoil. The pedlar beheld them approach with a deep groan. Ay, ay," he said, "the folk of Jarls

hof, they will make clean wark; they are ken'd