I canna weel bide the soun' o' ane when it comes; I'm no used till
't."

"Naebody?" exclaimed Malcolm.

"Na, naebody," she answered. "My mither winna, my father daurna,
an' the bairnie canna, an I gang near naebody forbye."

"Weel, we maunna stan' oot here i' the cauld: come this gait," said
Malcolm. "The bairnie 'll get its deid."

"There wadna be mony to greit at that," returned Lizzy, and pressed
the child closer to her bosom.

Malcolm led the way to the little chamber contrived under the temple
in the heart of the hill, and unlocking the door made her enter.
There he seated her in a comfortable chair, and wrapped her in the
plaid he had brought for the purpose. It was all he could do to
keep from taking her in his arms for very pity, for, both body and
soul, she seemed too frozen to shiver. He shut the door, sat down
on the table near her, and said:

"There's naebody to disturb 's here, Lizzy: what wad ye say to me
noo?"

The sun was nearly down, and its light already almost smothered in
clouds, so that the little chamber, whose door and window were in
the deep shadow of the hill, was nearly dark.

"I wadna hae ye tell me onything ye promised no to tell," resumed