Transcript

031 - Chapter 9 · Pirate

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Speaker 1: Chapter nine of the Pirate by Sir Walter Scott. This
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Dion
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Speaker 1: Jine's cet Lake City, Utah, See yonder woman whom our
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Speaker 1: swains revere and dread in secret while they take her counsel,
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Speaker 1: when sweetheart shall be kind, or when cross Dame shall die?
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Speaker 1: Where lurks the thief who stole the silver tankard? And
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Speaker 1: how the pestilent Murraine may be cured? This sage Adviser's
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Speaker 1: mad stark, mad, my friend, Yet in her madness hath
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Speaker 1: the art and cunning to wring fool's secrets from their
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Speaker 1: inmost bosoms and pay inquirers with the coin they gave
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Speaker 1: her old play, it seemed as if Norna had indeed
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Speaker 1: full right to claim the gratitude of the U dollar
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Speaker 1: for the improved condition of his daughter's health. She once
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Speaker 1: more threw open the window, and Minna, drying her eyes
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Speaker 1: and advancing with affectionate confidence, threw herself on her father's
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Speaker 1: neck and asked his forgiveness for the trouble she had
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Speaker 1: of late occasion to him. It isn't necessary to add
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Speaker 1: that this was at once granted with a full, though
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Speaker 1: rough burst of parental tenderness, and as many close embraces
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Speaker 1: as if his child had just been rescued from the
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Speaker 1: jaws of death. When Magnus had dismissed Minna from his
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Speaker 1: arms to throw herself into those of her sister, and
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Speaker 1: expressed to her rather by kisses and tears than in words,
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Speaker 1: the regret she entertained for her late wayward conduct, the
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Speaker 1: u Dollar thought proper in the meantime to pay his
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Speaker 1: thanks to their hostess, whose skill had proved so efficacious,
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Speaker 1: but scarce had he come out with much respected kinswoman,
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Speaker 1: I am but a plain old Norseman, when she interrupted
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Speaker 1: him by pressing her finger on her lips. There are
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Speaker 1: those around us, she said, who must hear no mortal voice,
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Speaker 1: witness no sacrifice to mortal feelings. There are times when
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Speaker 1: they mutiny even against me, their sovereign mistress, because I
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Speaker 1: am still shrouded in the flesh of humanity. Fear therefore,
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Speaker 1: and be silent, I whose deeds have raised me from
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Speaker 1: the low, sheltered valley of life, where dwell its social
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Speaker 1: wants and common charities, I who have bereft the giver
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Speaker 1: of the gift which he gave and stand alone on
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Speaker 1: a cliff of immeasurable high detached from Earth, save from
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Speaker 1: the small portion that supports my miserable tread, I alone
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Speaker 1: am fit to cope with those sullen mates. Fear not therefore,
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Speaker 1: but yet be not too bold, and let this night
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Speaker 1: to you be one of fasting and of prayer. If
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Speaker 1: the U Dollar had not before the commencement of the
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Speaker 1: operation been disposed to dispute the commands of the Sibyl,
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Speaker 1: it may be well believed he was less so now
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Speaker 1: that it had terminated. To all appearance, so fortunately, so
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Speaker 1: he sat down in silence and seized upon a volume
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Speaker 1: which lay near him, as a sort of desperate effort
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Speaker 1: to divert on we For on no other occasion had
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Speaker 1: Magnus been known to have recourse to a book for
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Speaker 1: that purpose. It chanced to be a book, much to
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Speaker 1: his mind, being the well known work of Oleus Magnus,
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Speaker 1: upon the Manners of the ancient Northern nations. This book is,
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Speaker 1: unluckily in the Latin language, and the Dansk or Dutch,
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Speaker 1: were either of them much more familiar to the U Dollar.
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Speaker 1: But then it was the fine edition, published in fifteen
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Speaker 1: fifty five, which contains representations of the war chariots, fishing exploits,
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Speaker 1: warlike exercises, and domestic employments of the Scandinavians, executed on
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Speaker 1: copper plates, and thus the information which the work refused
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Speaker 1: to the understanding was addressed to the eye, which, as
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Speaker 1: is well known both to old and young answers the
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Speaker 1: purpose of amusement as well, if not better. Meanwhile, the
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Speaker 1: two sisters, pressed as close to each other as two
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Speaker 1: flowers on the same stalk, sat with their arms reciprocally
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Speaker 1: passed over each other's shoulder, as if they feared some
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Speaker 1: new and unforeseen cause of coldness was about to separate
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Speaker 1: them and interrupt the sister like harmony which had been
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Speaker 1: but just restored. Norna sat opposite to them, sometimes revolving
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Speaker 1: the large parchment volume with which they had found her
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Speaker 1: employed at their entrance, and sometimes gazing on the sisters
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Speaker 1: with a fixed look, in which an interest of a
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Speaker 1: kind unusually tender seemed occasionally to disturb the stern and
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Speaker 1: rigorous solemnity of her countenance. All was still and silent
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Speaker 1: as death, and the subsiding emotions of Brenda had not
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Speaker 1: yet permitted her to wonder whether the remaining hours of
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Speaker 1: the evening were to be passed in the same manner.
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Speaker 1: When the scene of tranquility was suddenly interrupted by the
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Speaker 1: entrance of the dwarf Paslette, or, as the u Dollar
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Speaker 1: called him, Nicholas Strumpfer, Norna darted an angry glance on
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Speaker 1: the intruder, who seemed to deprecate her resentment by holding
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Speaker 1: up his hands and uttering a babbling sound. Then, instantly
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Speaker 1: resorting to his usual mode of conversation, he expressed himself
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Speaker 1: by a variety of signs made rapidly upon his fingers,
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Speaker 1: and as rapidly answered by his mistress, so that the
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Speaker 1: young women, who had never heard of such an art,
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Speaker 1: and now saw it practiced by two beings so singular,
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Speaker 1: almost conceived their mutual intelligence the work of enchantment. When
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Speaker 1: they had ceased their intercourse, Noorna turned to Magnus Troyal
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Speaker 1: with much haughtiness, and said, how, my kinsman, have you
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Speaker 1: so far forgot yourself as to bring earthly food into
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Speaker 1: the house of the Rhymkenner and make preparations in the
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Speaker 1: dwelling of power and of despair for refection and with
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Speaker 1: sale and revelry. Speak not answer, not she said, The
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Speaker 1: duration of the cure, which was wrought even now depends
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Speaker 1: on your silence and obedience, Bandy. But a single look
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Speaker 1: or word with me, and the latter condition of that
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Speaker 1: maiden shall be worse than the first. This threat was
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Speaker 1: an effectual charm upon the tongue of the U Dollar,
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Speaker 1: though he longed to indulge it in vindication of his conduct,
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Speaker 1: Follow me, all of you, said Norna, striding to the
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Speaker 1: door of the apartment, and see that no one looks backwards.
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Speaker 1: We leave not this apartment empty, though we the children
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Speaker 1: of mortality, be removed from it. She went out, and
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Speaker 1: the US dollars signed to his daughters to follow and
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Speaker 1: to obey her injunctions. The civil moved swifter than her
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Speaker 1: guests down the rude descent, which it might rather be
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Speaker 1: termed than a proper staircase, which led to the lower apartment.
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Speaker 1: Magnus and his daughters, when they entered the chamber, found
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Speaker 1: their own attendants aghast at the presence and proceedings of
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Speaker 1: Norna of the Fitful Head. They had been previously employed
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Speaker 1: in arranging the provisions which they had brought along with them,
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Speaker 1: so as to present a comfortable, cold meal, as soon
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Speaker 1: as the appetite of the U Dollar, which was as
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Speaker 1: regular as the return of tide, should induce him to
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Speaker 1: desire some refreshment. And now they stood staring in fear
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Speaker 1: and surprise, while Norna, seizing upon one article after another,
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Speaker 1: and well supported by the zealous activity of Pasolette, flung
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Speaker 1: their whole preparations out of the rude aperture, which served
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Speaker 1: for a window, and over the cliff from which the
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Speaker 1: ancient burgh arose into the ocean, which raised and foamed
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Speaker 1: beneath Vifta. Dried beef, hams and pickled pork flew after
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Speaker 1: each other into empty space. Smoked geese were restored to
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Speaker 1: the air, and cured fish to the sea, their native elements, indeed,
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Speaker 1: but which they were no longer capable of traversing. And
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Speaker 1: the devastation proceeded so rapidly that the U Dollar could
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Speaker 1: scarce secure from the wreck his silver drinking cup, while
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Speaker 1: the large leathern flask of brandy, which was destined to
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Speaker 1: supply his favorite beverage, was sent to follow the rest
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Speaker 1: of the supper by the hands of Pasolette, who regarded
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Speaker 1: at the same time the disappointed Utah with a malicious grin,
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Speaker 1: as if, notwithstanding his own natural taste for the liquor,
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Speaker 1: he enjoyed the disappointment and surprise of Magnus Troil still
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Speaker 1: more than he would have relished sharing his enjoyment. The
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Speaker 1: destruction of the brandy flask exhausted the patience of Magnus,
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Speaker 1: who roared out in a tone of no small displeasure. Why, kinswoman,
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Speaker 1: this is wasteful madness. Where and on what would you
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Speaker 1: have a sob where you will, answered Norna, And on
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Speaker 1: what you will, but not in my dwelling, and not
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Speaker 1: on the food with which you have profaned it vex
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Speaker 1: my spirit no more, but begone, every one of you.
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Speaker 1: You have been here too long for my good, perhaps
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Speaker 1: for your own. How, kinswoman, said Magnus, Would you make
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Speaker 1: out casts of us at this time time of night,
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Speaker 1: when even a scotchman would not turn a stranger from
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Speaker 1: the door. Bethink you, dame, It is shame on our
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Speaker 1: lineage forever if this squall of yours should force us
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Speaker 1: to slip cables and go to sea, so scantily provided,
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Speaker 1: be silent and depart, said Norna. Let it suffice you
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Speaker 1: have got that for which you came, I have no
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Speaker 1: harborage for mortal guests, no provision to relieve human wants.
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Speaker 1: There is beneath the cliff a beach of the finest sand,
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Speaker 1: a stream of water as pure as the well of Kildingui,
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Speaker 1: and the rocks bear dults as wholesome as that of Guidin.
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Speaker 1: And well, you WoT that the well of Kildingoui and
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Speaker 1: the dults of Guyadin will cure all melodies save black death.
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Speaker 1: And well, I want, said the u dollar, that I
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Speaker 1: would eat corrupted seaweeds like a starling, or salted seals,
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Speaker 1: flesh like the men of Burforth, or Wilk's BUCkies, and
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Speaker 1: lampets like the poor sneaks of Stroma, rather than break
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Speaker 1: wheat bread and drink red wine in a house where
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Speaker 1: it is begrudged me. And yet he said, checking himself,
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Speaker 1: I am wrong, very wrong, my cousin, to speak thus
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Speaker 1: to you. And I should rather thank you for what
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Speaker 1: you have done than upbraid you for following your own ways.
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Speaker 1: But I see you are impatient. We will be all
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Speaker 1: under way presently, And you, ye knaves, addressing his servants,
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Speaker 1: that were in such hurry with your service before it
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Speaker 1: was lacked, get out of doors with you presently and
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Speaker 1: manage to catch the ponies. For I see we must
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Speaker 1: make for another harbord tonight if we would not sleep
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Speaker 1: with an empty stomach and on a hard bed. The
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Speaker 1: domestics of Magnus, already sufficiently alarmed at the violence of
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Speaker 1: Norna's conduct, scarce waited the imperious command of their master
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Speaker 1: to evacuate her dwelling with all dispatch, and the U Dollar,
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Speaker 1: with a daughter on each arm, was in the act
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Speaker 1: of following them when Nornas said emphatically stop. They obeyed
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Speaker 1: and again turned towards her. She held out her hand
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Speaker 1: to Magnus, which the placable U Dollar instantly folded in
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Speaker 1: his own ample palm. Magnus, she said, we part by
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Speaker 1: necessity that I trust not in anger. Surely not, cousin,
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Speaker 1: said the warm hearted you Dollar, while nigh stammering in
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Speaker 1: his hasty disclamation of all unkindness. Most assuredly not. I
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Speaker 1: never bear ill will to end one, much less to
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Speaker 1: one of my own blood, and who has piloted me
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Speaker 1: with her advice through many a rough tide, as I
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Speaker 1: would pilot a boat betwixt Swonna and Stroma through all
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Speaker 1: the waws, wells and sweltchies of the Pentland. Frith, enough,
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Speaker 1: said Norna, and now farewell with such a blessing as
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Speaker 1: I dare bestow. Not a word more, maidens, she added,
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Speaker 1: draw near, and let me kiss your brows. The sibyl
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Speaker 1: was obeyed by Minna with awe and by Brenda with fear,
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Speaker 1: the one overmastered by the warmth of her imagination, the
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Speaker 1: other by the natural timidity of her constitution. Norna then
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Speaker 1: dismissed them, and in two minutes afterwards they found themselves
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Speaker 1: beyond the bridge and standing upon the rocky platform in
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Speaker 1: front of the ancient Pictish burgh, which it was the
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Speaker 1: pleasure of this sequestered female to inhabit. The night, for
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Speaker 1: it was now fallen, was unusually serene. A bright twilight,
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Speaker 1: which glimmered far over the surface of the sea supplied
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Speaker 1: the brief absence of the summer sun, and the waves
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Speaker 1: seemed to sleep under its influence. So faint and slumbrous
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Speaker 1: was the sound with which one after another rolled on
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Speaker 1: and burst against the foot of the cliff on which
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Speaker 1: they stood. In front of them stood the rugged fortress,
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Speaker 1: seeming in the uniform grayness of the atmosphere, as aged,
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Speaker 1: as shapeless, and as massive as the rock on which
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Speaker 1: it was founded. There was neither sight nor sound that
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Speaker 1: indicated human habitation, save that from one rude shothold glimmered
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Speaker 1: the flame of the feeble lamp by which the Sybil
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Speaker 1: was probably person doing her mystical and nocturnal studies, shooting
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Speaker 1: upon the twilight in which it was soon lost and
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Speaker 1: confounded a single line of tiny light bearing the same
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Speaker 1: proportion to that of the atmosphere as the aged woman
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Speaker 1: and her serf, the sole inhabitants of that desert, did
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Speaker 1: to the solitude with which they were surrounded. For several minutes,
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Speaker 1: the party, thus suddenly and unexpectedly expelled from the shelter
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Speaker 1: where they had reckoned upon spending the night, stood in silence,
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Speaker 1: each wrapped in their own separate reflections. Minna, her thoughts
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Speaker 1: fixed on the mystical consolation which she had received in Vain,
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Speaker 1: endeavored to extract from the words of Norna a more
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Speaker 1: distinct and intelligible meaning. And the u Dollar had not
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Speaker 1: yet recovered his surprise at the extrusion to which he
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Speaker 1: had been thus whimsically subjected under circumstances that prohibited him
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Speaker 1: from resenting as an insult, treatment which in all other
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Speaker 1: respects was so shocking to the genial hospitality of his
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Speaker 1: nature that he still felt like one disposed to be
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Speaker 1: angry if he but knew how to set about it.
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Speaker 1: Brenda was the first who brought matters to a point
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Speaker 1: by asking whither they were to go and how they
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Speaker 1: were to spend the night. The question, which was asked
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Speaker 1: in a tone that, amidst its simplicity, had something dolorous
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Speaker 1: in it, entirely changed the train of her father's ideas,
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Speaker 1: and the unexpected perplexity of their situation now striking him
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Speaker 1: in a comic point of view, he laughed till his
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Speaker 1: very eyes ran over, while every rock around him rang,
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Speaker 1: and the sleeping seafell were startled from their repose by
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Speaker 1: the loud, hearty explosions of his obstreperous hilarity. The u
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Speaker 1: Dollar's daughters, eagerly representing to their father the risk of
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Speaker 1: displeasing Norna by this unlimited indulgence of his mirth, united
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Speaker 1: their efforts to drag him to a farther distance from
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Speaker 1: her dwelling Magnus yielding to their strength, which feeble as
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Speaker 1: it was, his own fit of laughter rendered him incapable
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Speaker 1: of resisting, suffered himself to be pulled to a considerable
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Speaker 1: distance from the burg, and then escaping from their hands
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Speaker 1: and sitting down, or rather suffering himself to drop upon
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Speaker 1: a large stone which lay conveniently by the wayside. He
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Speaker 1: again laughed, so long and lustily that his vexed and
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Speaker 1: anxious daughters became afraid that there was something more than
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Speaker 1: natural in these repeats convulsions. At length his mirth exhausted
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Speaker 1: both itself and the u dollar's strength. He groaned, heavily
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Speaker 1: wiped his eyes, and said, not without feeling some desire
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Speaker 1: to renew his obstreperous couchation. Now by the bones of
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Speaker 1: Saint Madness, my ancestor and namesake, one would imagine that
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Speaker 1: being turned out of doors at this time of night
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Speaker 1: was nothing short of an absolutely exquisite jest. For I
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Speaker 1: have shaken my sides at it till they ache. There
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Speaker 1: we sat, made snug for the night, and I made
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Speaker 1: as sure of a good supper and a can as
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Speaker 1: ever I had been of either. And here we are
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Speaker 1: all taken aback. And then poor Brenda's doleful voice and
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Speaker 1: melancholy question of what is to be done? And where
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Speaker 1: are we to sleep in good faith unless one of
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Speaker 1: those knaves who must needs torment the poor woman by
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Speaker 1: their trencher work before it was wanted, can make amends
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Speaker 1: by telling us of some snug port under our lee.
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Speaker 1: We have no other course for it but to steer
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Speaker 1: through the twilight on the bearing of Burgwestra and rough
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Speaker 1: it out as well as we can. By the way,
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Speaker 1: I am sorry but for you girls, For many a
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Speaker 1: cruise have I been upon when we were on short
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Speaker 1: allowance than we are like to have now I would
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Speaker 1: I had but secured a morsel for you and a
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Speaker 1: drop for myself, And then there had been but little
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Speaker 1: to complain of. Both sisters hastened to assure the u
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Speaker 1: Dollar that they felt not the least occasion for food.
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Speaker 1: Why that is well, said Magnus. And so being the case,
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Speaker 1: I will not plaine of my own appetite, though it
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Speaker 1: is sharper than convenient. And the rascal Nicholas Strumfer, what
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Speaker 1: a leer the villain gave me. As he started the
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Speaker 1: good nance into the salt water. He grinned the knave
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Speaker 1: like a seal on a scarry. Had it not been
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Speaker 1: for vexing my poor kinswoman Norna, I would have sent
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Speaker 1: his misbegotten body and misshapen jolter head after my bonny flask,
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Speaker 1: as sure as Saint Magnus lies at Kirkwall. By this
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Speaker 1: time the servants returned with the ponies, which they had
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Speaker 1: very soon caught. These sensible animals, finding nothing so captivating
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Speaker 1: in the pastures where they had been suffered to stray,
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Speaker 1: as inclined them to resist the invitation again to subject
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Speaker 1: themselves to saddle and bridle. The prospects of the party
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Speaker 1: were also considerably improved by learning that the contents of
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Speaker 1: their sumpter Poni's burden had not been entirely exhausted, a
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Speaker 1: small basket having fortunately escaped the rage of Norna and
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Speaker 1: Pacolette by the rapidity with which one of the servants
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Speaker 1: had caught up and removed it. The same domestic, an
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Speaker 1: alert and ready witted fellow had observed upon the beach
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Speaker 1: not above three miles distant from the burg, and about
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Speaker 1: a quarter of a mile off their straight path, a
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Speaker 1: deserted skio or fisherman's hut, and suggested that they should
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Speaker 1: occupy it for the rest of the night, in order
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Speaker 1: that the ponies might be refreshed, and the young ladies
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Speaker 1: spend the night under cover from the raw evening air.
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Speaker 1: When we are delivered from great and serious dangers, our
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Speaker 1: mood is or ought to be grave in proportion to
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Speaker 1: the peril we have escaped, and the gratitude do to
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Speaker 1: protecting providence. But few things raise the spirits more naturally
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Speaker 1: or more harmlessly, than when means of extrication from any
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Speaker 1: of the lesser embarrassments of life are suddenly presented to us.
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Speaker 1: And such was the case in the present instance. The
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Speaker 1: U Dollar, relieved from the apprehensions for his daughters, suffering
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Speaker 1: from fatigue and himself from too much appetite and too
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Speaker 1: little food, caroled Norse ditties as he spurred Bergen through
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Speaker 1: the twilight with as much glee and gallantry as if
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Speaker 1: the night ride had been entirely a matter of his
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Speaker 1: own free choice. Brenda lent her voice to some of
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Speaker 1: his choruses, which were echoed in ruder notes by the servants, who,
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Speaker 1: in that simple state of society, were not considered as
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Speaker 1: guilty of any breach of respect by no ingling their
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Speaker 1: voices with the song. Minna indeed was as yet unequal
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Speaker 1: to such an effort, but she compelled herself to assume
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Speaker 1: some share in the general hilarity of the meeting, And,
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Speaker 1: contrary to her conduct since the fatal morning which concluded
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Speaker 1: the Festival of Saint John, she seemed to take her
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Speaker 1: usual interest in what was going on around her, and
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Speaker 1: answered with kindness and readiness the repeated enquiries concerning her health,
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Speaker 1: with which the U Dollar every now and then interrupted
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Speaker 1: his carol. And thus they proceeded by night a happier
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Speaker 1: party by far than they had been when they traced
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Speaker 1: the same route on the preceding morning, making light of
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Speaker 1: the difficulties of the way, and promising themselves shelter and
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Speaker 1: a comfortable night's rest in the deserted hut which they
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Speaker 1: were now about to approach, and which they expected to
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Speaker 1: find in a state of darkness and solitude. But it
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Speaker 1: was the lot of the you Dollar that day to
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Speaker 1: be deceived more than once in his calculations. And which
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Speaker 1: way lies this cabin of yours? LORI, said the you Dollar,
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Speaker 1: addressing the intelligent domestic of whom we just spoke Yonder,
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Speaker 1: it should be said Lawrence Sholey at the head of
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Speaker 1: the voux. But by my faith, if it be the place,
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Speaker 1: there are folk there before us. God and Saint Ronan
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Speaker 1: said that they be canny company. In truth, there was
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Speaker 1: a light in the deserted hut, strong enough to glimmer
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Speaker 1: through every chink of the shingles and wreck wood of
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Speaker 1: which it was constructed, and to give the whole cabin
25:54
Speaker 1: the appearance of a smithy seen by night. The universal
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Speaker 1: superstition of the Atlanders seized upon Magnus and his escort.
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Speaker 1: They are tros, said one voice. They are witches, murmured another.
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Speaker 1: They are mermaids, muttered a third. Only hear their wild
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Speaker 1: singing all stopped, and in effect some notes of music
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Speaker 1: were audible, which Brenda, with a voice that quivered a little,
26:23
Speaker 1: but yet had a turn of arch ridicule in its tone,
26:28
Speaker 1: pronounced to be the sound of a fiddle, fiddle or fiend,
26:33
Speaker 1: said the u Dollar, who, if he believed in such
26:36
Speaker 1: nightly apparitions as had struck terror into his retinue, certainly
26:42
Speaker 1: feared them, not fiddle or fiend. May the devil fetch
26:47
Speaker 1: me if a witch cheats me out of supper tonight,
26:51
Speaker 1: For the second time, so saying, he dismounted, clenched his
26:56
Speaker 1: trusty truncheon in his hand, and advanced towards the hut,
27:00
Speaker 1: followed by Lawrence alone, the rest of his retinue, continuing
27:05
Speaker 1: stationery on the beach beside his daughters and the ponies.
27:10
Speaker 1: End of Chapter nine.