And among the rest might now be seen John Simson and his helpmate, and also Meg Johnston, who had been--either in reality, or, at least, with semblance sufficient to form their apology for calling where there was plenty of drink--smoked out of their own houses, amidst the cheers of the fire-imps. About this time, twelve o'clock was chimed from a rough-voiced bell of the Franciscan Monastery; and, some time after, in came Christy Lowrie, puffing and blowing, as if she too had experienced the effects of the thick breath of the fire-imps; and it might have been a fair presumption that her throat, like that of some of her predecessors, had been dried from pre-perceived gusts of Wat Webster's whisky rather than the smoke of the fire-angels, had it not been made quickly apparent, from other symptoms, that a horripilant terror had seized her heart and limbs, and inspired her tongue with the dry rattle of fearful intelligence. Never stopping till she got forward into the very heart of the company, seated round a blazing ingle, she sank upon a chair, and held up her hands to heaven, as if calling down from that quarter some supernatural agency to help in her difficulty. Every one turned and looked at her with wonder, mixed with sympathetic fear. "What, in God's name, is this, Christy? Is he come?" cried Wat Webster. "Oh! he's come again--he's come again!" she replied, in the midst of an effort to catch a spittle to wet her parched throat. "He's been at Will Pearson's, and Widow Lindsay's, and Rob Paterson's--he's gaun his auld rounds--and dootless he'll be here too. O Marion! Marion! gie me a spark to weet my throat." The door was again opened, and in came Widow Lindsay in great haste and terror, "I've seen him again!" cried she fearfully, and threw herself down in a corner of the lang settle. "Are ye sure it's him, dame?" inquired Meg Johnston, who seemed perfectly to understand these extraordinary proceedings. "Sure!" ejaculated the widow. "Hae I no tasted his _red whisky_; and has it no burned my throat till I maun ask Marion there to quench the fire wi' a spark o' human-liquor?"