"Just e'en that same, sir; and if ye be a friend o' his, ye've come at a
time when he's sair bested."

"I have been abroad for many years. Is his health so much deranged?"

"Ay, and his affairs an' a'. The creditors have entered into possession
o' the estate, and it's for sale. And some that made the maist o' him,
they're sairest on him now. I've a sma' matter due mysell, but I'd
rather have lost it than gane to turn the auld man out of his house, and
him just dying."

"Ay, but," said the parish clerk, "Factor Glossin wants to get rid of
the auld laird, and drive on the sale, for fear the heir-male should
cast up; for if there's an heir-male, they canna sell the estate for
auld Ellangowan's debt."

"He had a son born a good many years ago," said the stranger. "He is
dead, I suppose?"

"Dead! I'se warrant him dead lang syne. He hasna' been heard o' these
twenty years."

"I wat weel it's no twenty years," said the landlady. "It's no abune
seventeen in this very month. It made an unco noise ower a' this
country. The bairn disappeared the very day that Supervisor Kennedy came
by his end. He was a daft dog! Oh, an' he could ha' handen' off the
smugglers! Ye see, sir, there was a king's sloop down in Wigton Bay, and
Frank Kennedy, he behoved to have her up to chase Dirk Hatteraick's
lugger. He was a daring cheild, and fought his ship till she blew up