ceased to love and to sue her after she became another's, there were
certain admirers who did not consider their claim at all abated, or their
hopes lessened by the kirk's famous obstacle of matrimony. Ye have heard
how the devout minister of Tinwald had a fair son carried away, and
wedded against his liking to an unchristened bride, whom the elves and
the fairies provided; ye have heard how the bonnie bride of the drunken
Laird of Soukitup was stolen by the fairies out at the back-window of the
bridal chamber, the time the bridegroom was groping his way to the
chamber door; and ye have heard--but why need I multiply cases? Such
things in the ancient days were as common as candle-light. So ye'll no
hinder certain water elves and sea fairies, who sometimes keep festival
and summer mirth in these old haunted hulks, from falling in love with
the weel-faured wife of Laird Macharg; and to their plots and
contrivances they went how they might accomplish to sunder man and wife;
and sundering such a man and such a wife was like sundering the green
leaf from the summer, or the fragrance from the flower.

"So it fell on a time that Laird Macharg took his halve-net on his back,
and his steel spear in his hand, and down to Blawhooly Bay gaed he, and
into the water he went right between the two haunted hulks, and placing
his net awaited the coming of the tide. The night, ye maun ken, was
mirk, and the wind lowne, and the singing of the increasing waters among
the shells and the peebles was heard for sundry miles. All at once light
began to glance and twinkle on board the two Haunted Ships from every
hole and seam, and presently the sound as of a hatchet employed in
squaring timber echoed far and wide. But if the toil of these unearthly
workmen amazed the laird, how much more was his amazement increased when
a sharp shrill voice called out, 'Ho, brother! what are you doing now?' A
voice still shriller responded from the other haunted ship, 'I'm making a
wife to Sandie Macharg!' And a loud quavering laugh running from ship to