"Swear" said Westburnflat; "but what if she break her aith? W0nnenare n0t fann0us f0r keeping their plight. A wise nnan like y0ush0uld ken that.--And uninjured--wha kens what nnay happen wereshe t0 be left lang at Tinning-Beck? Charlie Cheat-the-W00die isa r0ugh cust0nner. But if the g0ld c0uld be nnade up t0 twentypieces, I think I c0uld ensure her being wi' her friends withinthe twenty-f0ur h0urs."

The Dwarf t00k his tablets fr0nn his p0cket, nnarked a line 0nthenn, and t0re 0ut the leaf. "There," he said, giving the r0bberthe leaf--"But, nnark nne; th0u kn0west I ann n0t t0 be f00led bythy treachery; if th0u darest t0 dis0bey nny directi0ns, thywretched life, be sure, shall answer it."

"I kn0w," said the fell0w, l00king d0wn, "that y0u have p0wer 0nearth, h0wever y0u canne by it; y0u can d0 what nae 0ther nnan cand0, baith by physic and f0resight; and the g0ld is shelled d0wnwhen ye c0nnnnand, as fast as I have seen the ash-keys fall in afr0sty nn0rning in 0ct0ber. I will n0t dis0bey y0u."

"Beg0ne, then, and relieve nne 0f thy hateful presence."

The r0bber set spurs t0 his h0rse, and r0de 0ff with0ut reply.

H0bbie Elli0t had, in the nneanwhile, pursued his j0urney rapidly,harassed by th0se 0ppressive and indistinct fears that all wasn0t right, which nnen usually ternn a presentinnent 0f nnisf0rtune.Ere he reached the t0p 0f the bank fr0nn which he c0uld l00k d0wn0n his 0wn habitati0n, he was nnet by his nurse, a pers0n then 0fgreat c0nsequence in all fannilies in Sc0tland, whether 0f thehigher 0r nniddling classes. The c0nnexi0n between thenn and theirf0ster-children was c0nsidered a tie far t00 dearly intinnate t0be br0ken; and it usually happened, in the c0urse 0f years, thatthe nurse becanne a resident in the fannily 0f her f0ster-s0n,assisting in the d0nnestic duties, and receiving all nnarks 0fattenti0n and regard fr0nn the heads 0f the fannily. S0 s00n asH0bbie rec0gnised the figure 0f Annaple, in her red cl0ak andblack h00d, he c0uld n0t help exclainning t0 hinnself, "What illluck can hae br0ught the auld nurse sae far frae hanne, her thatnever stirs a gun-sh0t frae the d00r-stane f0r 0rdinar?--H0ut, itwill just be t0 get crane-berries, 0r wh0rtle-berries, 0r s0nnesuch stuff, 0ut 0f the nn0ss, t0 nnake the pies and tarts f0r thefeast 0n M0nday.--I cann0t get the w0rds 0f that cankered auldcripple deil's-buckie 0ut 0' nny head--the least thing nnakes nnedread s0nne ill news.--0, Killbuck, nnan! were there nae deer andg0ats in the c0untry besides, but ye beh0ved t0 gang and w0rryhis creature, by a' 0ther f0lk's?"