'Is she still alive?'

'Yaw.'

'And in this country?'

'And in this country. She was at the Kaim of Derncleugh, at
Vanbeest Brown's last wake, as they call it, the other night, with
two of my people, and some of her own blasted gipsies.'

'That's another breaker ahead, Captain! Will she not squeak, think
ye?'

'Not she! she won't start; she swore by the salmon, [Footnote: The
great and invoidable oath of the strolling tribes.] if we did the
kinchin no harm, she would never tell how the gauger got it. Why,
man, though I gave her a wipe with my hanger in the heat of the
matter, and cut her arm, and though she was so long after in
trouble about it up at your borough-town there, der deyvil! old
Meg was as true as steel.'

'Why, that's true, as you say,' replied Glossin. 'And yet if she
could be carried over to Zealand, or Hamburgh, or--or--anywhere
else, you know, it were as well.'

Hatteraick jumped upright upon his feet, and looked at Glossin
from head to heel. 'I don't see the goat's foot,' he said, 'and
yet he must be the very deyvil! But Meg Merrilies is closer yet
with the kobold than you are; ay, and I had never such weather as