"
"How could that be, papa?" asked Cosmo.
"He may have looked out of the window and seen it, and, in the
half-foolish state he was in, taken it for something supernatural."
"But why should that have done him any harm?"
"It may have terrified him."
"Why should it terrify him?" said Cosmo.
"There may be things we know nothing of," replied his father, "to
answer that question. I cannot help feeling rather uneasy about
it."
"Did YOU see anything frightful about my man of light, papa?"
inquired Cosmo.
"No," answered his father, thoughtfully; "but the thing, you see,
was in the shape of a man--a man lying at full length as if he were
dead, and indeed in his grave: he might take it for his wraith--an
omen of his coming end."
"But he is an Englishman, papa, and the English don't believe in
the second sight."
"That does make it less likely.--Few lowlanders do."
"Do you believe in it, papa?"
"Well, you see," returned the laird, with a small smile, "I, like
yourself, am neither pure highlander nor pure lowlander, and the
natural consequence is, I am not very sure whether I believe in it
or not. I have heard stories difficult to explain."
"Still," said Cosmo, "my lord would be more to blame than me, for
no man with a good conscience would have been so frightened as that,
even if it had been his wraith."
"That may be true;--still, a man cannot help being especially sorry
anything should happen to a stranger in his house.
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