"Fair as thou art to look upon, maiden, and innocent withal, the fear grieves me that ye are one of the backsliders of this sinful generation. Thy 'Norlan' Harp' quotha? Know that there is no harp save that of Zion, whilk is a lyre of treble refined gold. What saith the sacred writ,--'Is any among ye afflicted, let him pray. Is any merrie, let him _sing psalmes_.'" "I wot it would be but sad merriment," laughed the young lady. "Peace, Lilian," said grand-aunt Grizel, while the solemn divine fidgetted in his chair, and hemmed gruffly, preparatory to returning to the charge. "Maiden, when thou hast perused my forthcoming discourse, whilk is entitled, '_A Bombshell aimed at the tail of the Great Beast_,' and whilk, please God, shall be imprinted when I can procure ink and irons from Holland (that happy Elysium of the faithful), thou shalt there see in words of fire the straight and narrow path, contrasted with the broad but dangerous way that leadeth to the sea of flame: and therein will I shew thee, and all that are yet in darkness, that the four animals in the Vision of Daniel hieroglyphically represent four empires, Rome, Persia, Grecia, and Babylonia, and that the man of sin, the antichrist, and the scarlet harlot of Babylon----" At that moment the stag-hound barked and howled furiously, upon which the preacher's voice died away in a quaver, and his upraised hand sank powerless by his side. "The dog howls eerily," said the old lady, "Gude sain us! that foretells death--and far-seen folk say that dumb brutes can see him enter the house when a departure is about to happen." "--And further," continued the preacher incoherently, when his confusion had somewhat subsided: "I will show thee that the blessing of Heaven will descend upon the men of the Covenant--" "Yea," chimed in Lady Grizel, "and upon their children--" "Even unto the third and fourth generation." "My honoured husband was as true a cavalier as ever wore buff," said Lady Grizel, striking her cane emphatically on the floor; "but some of my dearest kinsmen have shed bluid for the other side, and I can think kindly o' baith." "But if the King," urged Lilian; "if the King should permit--"