Winged by her fears, and in dreadful apprehension that the ghost of John Smith was still following her, Morag flew with an unnatural swiftness and impetus. She was quite unconscious of noticing any of the familiar objects by the way; yet, by a species of instinct, she reached home, in so short a time, that she could hardly believe her own senses. But still in dreadful fear of the ghost, she thundered at the door, and roared out to her mistress for admittance. The kind-hearted Pensassenach had been sitting up in a state of the cruellest anxiety regarding Morag, of whose intended expedition she had received no inkling, nor had she been informed of her departure, until long after she was gone. She no sooner heard her voice, and her knock, than she hastened to admit her. "Foolish girl that you are!" said she, "I am thankful to see you alive. My stars and garters, what a draggled figure you are!--But come away into this room here, and let me hear all you have to tell me about the battle. The rebels were defeated, were they not?--eh?--Why, what is the matter with the girl? she pants as if she was dying. Sit down, sit down, child, and compose yourself; you look for all the world as if you had seen a ghost." "Och, och, memm!--och, hoch!" replied the girl very much appalled, that her mistress should thus, as she thought, so immediately see the truth written in her very face. "Och, hoch! an' a ghaist Morag has surely seen. Has ta ghaist put her mark upon her face?--Och, hoch! she'll ne'er won ower wi't!" "The poor girl's head has been turned by the horrible scenes of carnage she has witnessed," said the Pensassenach. "Och, hoch!" said Morag, with her hands on her knees, and rocking to and fro with nervous agitation; "terrible sights! terrible sights, surely, surely!" "Here, my poor Morag," said the Pensassenach, after she had dropped into a cup a small quantity of some liquid nostrum of her own, from a phial, hastily taken from a little medicine chest, and added some water to it, "drink this, my good girl!" "Och, hoch!" said Morag, after she had swallowed it; "she thinks she sees ta ghaist yet." "What ghost did you see?" demanded the Pensassenach. "Och, hoch! Och, hoch, memm!" replied Morag, trembling more than ever; "Shon Smiss ghaist; Shon Smiss, as sure as Morag is in life, an' ta leddy stannin' in ta body tare afore her e'en." "John Smith's ghost!" cried the Pensassenach. "Pooh, nonsense! But again I ask you, how went the battle? The rumour is, that the rebels have been signally defeated, and all cut to pieces." "Och, hoch! is tat true?" said Morag, weeping. "Och, hoch, poor Shon Smiss!" "Did you not see the rout?" demanded the Pensassenach. "Did you not witness the battle, and behold the glorious triumph of the royal army?" "Och, hoch, no!" replied the girl. "Morag saw nae pattals, nor naesin' but hearin' terrible shots o' guns, an' twa or sree red cotted sodgers tat pursued her for her life."