" Nae be surprised, gentlemen," she said, "to find, though we have got sic a large and gude hoose , that we prefer the back to the front of it. 'Tis my fancy, and my gude mon loves his Moggy sae weel , that he seldom contradicts her. I prefer comfort to shew , ye ken ; and though I live in my kitchen aw winter, I flatter mysel 'tis as clean as ony parlour in summer. I like the rooms next the street ; but here I can enjoy the morning sun, which delights me during my breakfast. We eat our dinner hot from the fire, and my tea is as gude again when my water is nae carried about frae the kitchen to the parlour; and this ye shall experience, my gude friends, for I wish ye to remember the comfortable dish of tea that ye met with at Sandy Mackintosh's that ye may be tempted to visit us again, though ye were received in a kitchen." [some narrative omitted]
(S)he declared, "if she had but had sic a bairn by her dear Sandy, she should be the happiest woman in aw Britain." [some narrative omitted]
She was pressing them to taste some cracknels , a sort of cake peculiar to the island , when a violent ringing at the street-door made her exclaim-- "Here comes my torment ; step and let the foolish fellow in, Mary," turning to her assistant rather than her servant, "for ten to one if ony of his men are at hame . 'Tis a pure silly body of a Baronet, an Officer in one of the regiments now here, wha , taking advantage of my gude temper, prevailed upon me to take him into my hoose ; but if I could once see the back of him, he should nae darken my doors again." [some narrative omitted] " Ye are parfectly reeght , my gude friend. I have heard this hopeful sprig of Nobility tauk about Winchester." [some narrative omitted]
" Yere fellows, Sir Peter, are nae in my keeping; I nae ken nor care what has got them; perhaps they are gone to the ball."

" Ye cartainly canna refuse to encourage sic a bonny lad, Sir Peter," said the diverted Mrs Mackintosh. "But perhaps, as ye are old schoolfellows, ye may think of providing for him in a more honourable way. 'Tis almost a pity, I tell him, to dirty sae handsome a hand in our filthy business."

"He," continued the gossip, " as comes here so often to visit the forin lady: I supposes 'tis a Doctor, for poor young thing! she bees just at the down-lying . See, Miss, there's his horse fastened to rail of the little court."

" Aboot three moiles an end ," answered the man in his Yorkshire dialect . "And is it," said I, "a ruin like this?" -- He answered that it was deserted now of all of its inhabitants, because the family it had belonged to were all either dead, or gone "beyond sea." My curiosity being farther excited, I learned that the Abbey had been, to use my conductor's phrase, made into a house by a great rich family, "Romans, though, Romans;" which on being explained, I found meant that they were of the Roman Catholic religion . .

"And which, friend, is the way to the ancient house? Can I reach it by following the path I saw you in, that leads through the woods?"
"Why, you would not go there?"
"Not go there? Why should I not?"
"And to-night?"
"Aye, to-night, or any other night, why not?"
" There's noot to be found there, I'll promise you," said the man, who seemed to shudder at the temerity of my design, while he doubted its motives. "No, no, there's nothing to be found there; the Priests took care of that. -- Some old rubbishy things, indeed, some folks do say , be yet in the old rambling rooms; but, for my part, I'se not go aboot amongst them, special of a night, if there was a bushel of gold to be got as my reward."
"But why not? Where is the danger?"
" Bless you , Master," cried the peasant, " it's easy to see you are but a stranger in this country, or you'd never ask such questions. Why, mon , the Abbey is haunted."

Edouarda, who had watched the cause of her alarm till she saw him disappear among the woods, and was sure he was no longer visible from any of the windows of the house, by this time sufficiently recovered herself to relate to Rachael all that had passed the preceding evening; and she had soon the pleasure of finding her auditor took it as she wished. To the unadulterated mind of a simple country girl, neither sophistry, however artfully put, nor prejudice, however early impressed, could reconcile the cruelty of separating the child from the parent; and to the common rank of women there is something particularly interesting in a pretty young man "who oft to be a rich gentleman, and ride in his own coach, and such-like, being sent away beyond sea on purpose that he middent have his right heritage."

[…] I inquired of Amponah, one of the few servants in the house to whom I can speak , who that person was. The poor fellow appeared to be surprised at my question, and answered, " Master not tell you , Miss?" I said I should not have inquired, but that I had forgotten his name. " Ah, Miss, Miss! " replied Amponah, " dat man is one day no'ther to be our master." – "Your master, Amponah?" – "Yes: master give him you , Miss, and all this great rich estates and pens and all ."

The poor fellow sighed deeply, and, shaking his head, replied, "What I say is trute ; that man is him master means to make marry you, Miss." – "But, Amponah, what is he?" – "What is he, Miss? Oh! he nephew to a widow lady master like , and go see sometime t'other side de Island . Ah, Miss! we know well enough who he is; he is poor man, bad man, cruel man ; but we must not speak. Yet," added Amponah, in a tone and manner altogether unlike his usual way of speaking, "yet, for such man to be your husband, Miss!" – I was, I hardly know why, terrified at the honest indignation of this faithful servant.

" " Missy , I tell trute now - I love you. I no slave now ; I my master and yours . Missy , there no difference now ; you be my wife . I love you from a child! You live with me : nay, nay, no help for it; I take care of that."