Ah！itwouldhavebeenataleforpoorFloratohavetoldyou。Or，ifthathillwereBenmore，andthatlongbluelake，whichyouseejustwindingtowardsyonmountainouscountry，wereLochTay，ormyownLochanRi，thetalewouldbebettersuitedwithscenery。However，letussitdownonthisknoll；
evenSaddlebackandUllswaterwillsuitwhatIhavetosaybetterthantheEnglishhedge-rows，enclosures，andfarm-houses。
Youmustknow，then，thatwhenmyancestor，IannanChaistel，wastedNorthumberland，therewasassociatedwithhimintheexpeditionasortofSouthlandChief，orcaptainofabandofLowlanders，calledHalbertHall。IntheirreturnthroughtheCheviots，theyquarrelledaboutthedivisionofthegreatbootytheyhadacquired，andcamefromwordstoblows。TheLowlanderswerecutofftoaman，andtheirchieffellthelast，coveredwithwoundsbytheswordofmyancestors。Sincethattime，hisspirithascrossedtheVichIanVohrofthedaywhenanygreatdisasterwasimpending，butespeciallybeforeapproachingdeath。Myfathersawhimtwice；oncebeforehewasmadeprisoneratSheriffmuir；anothertime，onthemorningofthedayonwhichhedied。’’
Howcanyou，mydearFergus，tellsuchnonsensewithagraveface？’’
Idonotaskyoutobelieveit；butItellyouthetruth，ascertainedbythreehundredyears’experienceatleast，andlastnightbymyowneyes。’’