The commercial traveller added, condescendingly, "It is cold weather for touring, sir; but it's a grand country, as ye say." And then they resumed their conversation.
The young lady behind was far more sympathetic. She made a distinct pause, and when she spoke again it was with a flattering adoption of Walter's tone to point out to her companion how beautiful the scene was.
"The isle is floating too, Mysie--look! If we could get there soon enough we might land upon one of those rosy clouds."
Walter gave a grateful glance behind him, and felt that he was understood.
"That is just your poetry, Miss Oona," said the maid; "but, bless me, I have never told ye: there has been the light lighted in the castle these two nights past. We have just thought upon you all the time, and how much taken up you would be about it, your mamma and me."
"The light on the castle!" cried the young lady; and at this the coachman, turning slightly round, entered into the conversation.
"That has it," he said; "I can back her up in that; just as clear and as steady as a star. There are many that say they never can see it; but they would be clever that had not seen it these two past nights."
"Who says they cannot see it?" said the girl, indignantly.
John gave a little flick to his leader, which made the whole machine vibrate and roll.
"Persons of the newfangled kind that believe in nothing," he said. "They will tell ye it cannot be--so how can you see it? though it is glinting in their faces all the time."
"You are meaning me, John," said the traveller on the box-seat; "and there's truth in what you say. I've seen what you call the light, and no doubt it has the appearance of a light; but if ye tell me it's something supernatural, there can be no doubt I will answer ye that there's nothing supernatural. If you were to tell me ye had seen a ghost, I would just reply in the same way. No, my man, I'm not impeachin' your veracity. You saw something, I'll allow; but no' a ghost, for there are no ghosts to see."
"That's just an awfu' easy way of settlin' the question," said the maid from behind--and then she went on in a lower tone: "This will be the third night since it began, and we've a' seen it on the Isle. Hamish, he says the new lord maun be of a dour kind to need so many warnings. And he's feared ill will come of it; but I say the new lord, no' bein' here away nor of this country at all, how is he to ken?"