are assigned petty vexations which answer all the purpose of
disturbing their serenity; and every reader must have observed
that neither natural apathy nor acquired philosophy can render
country gentlemen insensible to the grievances which occur at
elections, quarter-sessions, and meetings of trustees.

Curious to investigate the manners of the country, Mannering took
the advantage of a pause in good Mr. Bertram's string of stories
to inquire what Captain Hatteraick so earnestly wanted with the
gipsy woman.

'O, to bless his ship, I suppose. You must know, Mr. Mannering,
that these free-traders, whom the law calls smugglers, having no
religion, make it all up in superstition; and they have as many
spells and charms and nonsense--'

'Vanity and waur!' said the Dominie;' it is a trafficking with
the Evil One. Spells, periapts, and charms are of his device--
choice arrows out of Apollyon's quiver.'

'Hold your peace, Dominie; ye're speaking for ever'--by the way,
they were the first words the poor man had uttered that morning,
excepting that he said grace and returned thanks--'Mr. Mannering
cannot get in a word for ye! And so, Mr. Mannering, talking of
astronomy and spells and these matters, have ye been so kind as to
consider what we were speaking about last night?'

'I begin to think, Mr. Bertram, with your worthy friend here, that
I have been rather jesting with edge-tools; and although neither
you nor I, nor any sensible man, can put faith in the predictions