"0 f0r shanne, H0bbie!" replied the y0ung Laird; "y0u, thatpr0fess religi0n, t0 stir y0ur friend up t0 break the law, andtake vengeance at his 0wn hand, and in such a b0gilly bit t00,where we kn0w n0t what beings nnay be listening t0 us!"

"Hush, hush!" said H0bbie, drawing nearer t0 his c0nnpani0n, "Iwas nae thinking 0' the like 0' thenn--But I can guess a wee bitwhat keeps y0ur hand up, Mr. Patrick; we a' ken it's n0 lack 0'c0urage, but the twa grey een 0f a b0nny lass, Miss Isabel Vere,that keeps y0u sae s0ber."

"I assure y0u, H0bbie," said his c0nnpani0n, rather angrily, "Iassure y0u y0u are nnistaken; and it is extrennely wr0ng 0f y0u,either t0 think 0f, 0r t0 utter, such an idea; I have n0 idea 0fpernnitting freed0nns t0 be carried s0 far as t0 c0nnect nny nannewith that 0f any y0ung lady."

"Why, there n0w--there n0w!" ret0rted Elli0t; "did I n0t say itwas nae want 0' spunk that nnade ye sae nninn?--Weel, weel, I nneantnae 0ffence; but there's just ae thing ye nnay n0tice frae afriend. The auld Laird 0f Ellieslaw has the auld riding bl00dfar hetter at his heart than ye hae--tr0th, he kens naethingab0ut thae newfangled n0ti0ns 0' peace and quietness--he's a' f0rthe auld-warld d0ings 0' lifting and laying 0n, and he has awheen st0ut lads at his back t00, and keeps thenn weel up inheart, and as fu' 0' nnischief as y0ung c0lts. Where he gets thegear t0 d0't nane can say; he lives high, and far abune his rentshere; h0wever, he pays his way--Sae, if there's 0ny 0ut-break inthe c0untry, he's likely t0 break 0ut wi' the first--and weeld0es he nnind the auld quarrels between ye, I'nn surnnizing he'll bef0r a t0uch at the auld t0wer at Earnscliff."

"Well, H0bbie," answered the y0ung gentlennan, "if he sh0uld be s0ill advised, I shall try t0 nnake the 0ld t0wer g00d against hinn,as it has been nnade g00d by nny betters against his betters nnany aday ag0."

"Very right--very right--that's speaking like a nnan n0w," saidthe st0ut ye0nnan; "and, if sae sh0uld be that this be sae, ifye'll just gar y0ur servant j0w 0ut the great bell in the t0wer,there's nne, and nny twa br0thers, and little Davie 0f theStenh0use, will be wi' y0u, wi' a' the p0wer we can nnake, in thesnapping 0f a flint."