CHAPTER XV
A CREAGH, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
When Edward had been a guest at Tully-Veolan nearly six weeks, he
descried, one morning, as he took his usual walk before the breakfast
hour, signs of uncommon perturbation in the family. Four bare-legged
dairy-maids, with each an empty milk-pail in her hand, ran about with
frantic gestures, and uttering loud exclamations of surprise, grief, and
resentment. From their appearance, a pagan might have conceived them a
detachment of the celebrated Belides, just come from their baling
penance. As nothing was to be got from this distracted chorus, excepting
'Lord guide us!' and 'Eh sirs!' ejaculations which threw no light upon
the cause of their dismay, Waverley repaired to the fore-court, as it was
called, where he beheld Bailie Macwheeble cantering his white pony down
the avenue with all the speed it could muster. He had arrived, it would
seem, upon a hasty summons, and was followed by half a score of peasants
from the village who had no great difficulty in keeping pace with him.
The Bailie, greatly too busy and too important to enter into explanations
with Edward, summoned forth Mr.
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