"Now the Laird, besides being a devout and a God-fearing man, was shrewd
and bold; and in plot, and contrivance, and skill in conducting his
designs, was fairly an overmatch for any dozen land-elves; but the
water-elves are far more subtle; besides, their haunts and their
dwellings being in the great deep, pursuit and detection is hopeless
if they succeed in carrying their prey to the waves. But ye shall hear.
Home flew the Laird, collected his family around the hearth, spoke of
the signs and the sins of the times, and talked of mortification and
prayer for averting calamity; and finally, taking his father's Bible,
brass clasps, black print, and covered with calf-skin, from the shelf,
he proceeded without let or stint to perform domestic worship. I should
have told ye that he bolted and locked the door, shut up all inlet to
the house, threw salt into the fire, and proceeded in every way like
a man skilful in guarding against the plots of fairies and fiends. His
wife looked on all this with wonder; but she saw something in her
husband's looks that hindered her from intruding either question or
advice, and a wise woman was she.
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