"Well, then," I said, "but what has your theory of the high wind to do
with the ruined state of Lag’s grave?"
"Everything," he replied; "and if you will just have a little patience
I’ll explain it to you; but you must excuse my homely way of speaking,
for I’m not good at the story-telling." Then sticking his spade into
the ground and seating himself on a neighbouring stone, he supported his
arm on the handle of his spade, in the attitude of one about to make
some mysterious communication, and began as follows:—
It was in the winter time that Lag’s grave was destroyed; and the night
on which the occurrence took place was wild and stormy enough, but
nothing to the like of me, who have seen many a fearful night in my
young days, when—but let that pass, as it has nothing to do with my
story. Well, as I was saying, it was rather a stormy evening, and the
wind had an eerie sound as it moaned in the chimney and caused the
window-frame to rattle in an odd sort of way; and my wife observed to
me, just as I was on the point of falling asleep, "Oh, John, but this is
an awful night for ony puir body to be out in!"
"Nonsense, wife," I replied; "I trust they may never be out in worse
weather; it’s a mere capful of wind, as the sailors say."
"May the Lord forgive ye, John, for you livity (levity);" so saying she
gave me a push with her elbow, as a kind of rebuke for my light way of
speaking.
Well, mim, I was awoke about the middle of the night by my wife giving
me a pull of the arm, whilst she exclaimed in a voice almost inaudible
through fear, "Oh! John, hear till that in the auld grave-yard; isn’t
that awful? what can it mean?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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