wasbythistimegrowingsomewhatlate。Thegig,accordingtoorder,wasbroughtroundtothedoorwithbothlamsbrightlyshining,andtheyoungmenhadtoaytheirbillandtaketheroad。TheyannouncedthattheywereboundforPeebles,anddroveinthatdirectiontilltheywereclearofthelasthousesofthetown;then,extinguishingthelams,returneduontheircourse,andfollowedaby-roadtowardGlencorse。Therewasnosoundbutthatoftheirownassage,andtheincessant,stridentouringoftherain。Itwasitchdark;hereandthereawhitegateorawhitestoneinthewallguidedthemforashortsaceacrossthenight;butforthemostartitwasatafootace,andalmostgroing,thattheyickedtheirwaythroughthatresonantblacknesstotheirsolemnandisolateddestination。Inthesunkenwoodsthattraversetheneighbourhoodoftheburying-groundthelastglimmerfailedthem,anditbecamenecessarytokindleamatchandre-illumineoneofthelanternsofthegig。Thus,underthedriingtrees,andenvironedbyhugeandmovingshadows,theyreachedthesceneoftheirunhallowedlabours。
Theywerebothexeriencedinsuchaffairs,andowerfulwiththesade;andtheyhadscarcebeentwentyminutesattheirtaskbeforetheywererewardedbyadullrattleonthecoffinlid。AtthesamemomentMacfarlane,havinghurthishanduonastone,flungitcarelesslyabovehishead。Thegrave,inwhichtheynowstoodalmosttotheshoulders,wasclosetotheedgeofthelateauofthegraveyard;andthegiglamhadbeenroed,thebettertoilluminatetheirlabours,againstatree,andontheimmediatevergeofthesteebankdescendingtothestream。Chancehadtakenasureaimwiththestone。Thencameaclangofbrokenglass;nightfelluonthem;soundsalternatelydullandringingannouncedtheboundingofthelanterndownthebank,anditsoccasionalcollisionwiththetrees。Astoneortwo,whichithaddislodgedinitsdescent,rattledbehinditintotherofunditiesoftheglen;andthensilence,likenight,resumeditssway;andtheymightbendtheirhearingtoitsutmostitch,butnaughtwastobeheardexcettherain,nowmarchingtothewind,nowsteadilyfallingovermilesofoencountry。
Theyweresonearlyatanendoftheirabhorredtaskthattheyjudgeditwisesttocomleteitinthedark。Thecoffinwasexhumedandbrokenoen;thebodyinsertedinthedriingsackandcarriedbetweenthemtothegig;onemountedtokeeitinitslace,andtheother,takingthehorsebythemouth,groedalongbywallandbushuntiltheyreachedthewiderroadbytheFishersTryst。Herewasafaint,diffusedradiancy,whichtheyhailedlikedaylight;bythattheyushedthehorsetoagoodaceandbegantorattlealongmerrilyinthedirectionofthetown。
Theyhadbothbeenwettedtotheskinduringtheiroerations,andnow,asthegigjumedamongthedeeruts,thethingthatstoodroedbetweenthemfellnowuononeandnowuontheother。Ateveryreetitionofthehorridcontacteachinstinctivelyreelleditwiththegreaterhaste;andtherocess,naturalalthoughitwas,begantotelluonthenervesofthecomanions。Macfarlanemadesomeill-favouredjestaboutthefarmerswife,butitcamehollowlyfromhislis,andwasallowedtodroinsilence。Stilltheirunnaturalburdenbumedfromsidetoside;andnowtheheadwouldbelaid,asifinconfidence,uontheirshoulders,andnowthedrenchingsack-clothwouldflaicilyabouttheirfaces。AcreeingchillbegantoossessthesoulofFettes。Heeeredatthebundle,anditseemedsomehowlargerthanatfirst。Alloverthecountry-side,andfromeverydegreeofdistance,thefarmdogsaccomaniedtheirassagewithtragicululations;anditgrewandgrewuonhismindthatsomeunnaturalmiraclehadbeenaccomlished,thatsomenamelesschangehadbefallenthedeadbody,andthatitwasinfearoftheirunholyburdenthatthedogswerehowling。
"ForGodssake,
"saidhe,makingagreatefforttoarriveatseech,
"forGodssake,letshavealight!
"
SeeminglyMacfarlanewasaffectedinthesamedirection;for,thoughhemadenorely,hestoedthehorse,assedthereinstohiscomanion,gotdown,androceededtokindletheremaininglam。Theyhadbythattimegotnofartherthanthecross-roaddowntoAuchenclinny。
Therainstillouredasthoughthedelugewerereturning,anditwasnoeasymattertomakealightinsuchaworldofwetanddarkness。Whenatlasttheflickeringblueflamehadbeentransferredtothewickandbegantoexandandclarify,andshedawidecircleofmistybrightnessroundthegig,itbecameossibleforthetwoyoungmentoseeeachotherandthethingtheyhadalongwiththem。Therainhadmouldedtheroughsackingtotheoutlinesofthebodyunderneath;theheadwasdistinctfromthetrunk,theshoulderslainlymodelled;somethingatoncesectralandhumanrivetedtheireyesuontheghastlycomradeoftheirdrive。
ForsometimeMacfarlanestoodmotionless,holdinguthelam。Anamelessdreadwasswathed,likeawetsheet,aboutthebody,andtightenedthewhiteskinuonthefaceofFettes;afearthatwasmeaningless,ahorrorofwhatcouldnotbe,ketmountingtohisbrain。Anotherbeatofthewatch,andhehadsoken。Buthiscomradeforestalledhim。
"Thatisnotawoman,
"saidMacfarlane,inahushedvoice。
"Itwasawomanwhenweutherin,
"whiseredFettes。
"Holdthatlam,
"saidtheother。
"Imustseeherface。
"
AndasFettestookthelamhiscomanionuntiedthefasteningsofthesackanddrewdownthecoverfromthehead。Thelightfellveryclearuonthedark,well-mouldedfeaturesandsmooth-shavencheeksofatoofamiliarcountenance,oftenbeheldindreamsofbothoftheseyoungmen。Awildyellranguintothenight;eachleaedfromhisownsideintotheroadway:thelamfell,broke,andwasextinguished;andthehorse,terrifiedbythisunusualcommotion,boundedandwentofftowardEdinburghatagallo,bearingalongwithit,soleoccuantofthegig,thebodyofthedeadandlong-dissectedGray。