The mare she was right swift o’ foot,
She didna fail to find the way;
For she was at Lochmaben gate
Fu’ lang three hours before the day.
XIII
When she came to the Harper’s door,
There she gave mony a nicker and sneer[1260]—
‘Rise up,’ quo’ the wife, ‘thou lazy lass;
Let in thy master and his mare!’
XIV
Then up she rose, put on her clothes,
And keekit out through the lock-hole—
‘O! by my sooth,’ then cried the lass,
‘Our mare has gotten a braw brown foal!’—
XV
‘Come haud thy tongue, thou foolish lass!
The moon’s but glancing in your ee.
I’ll wad my hail fee[1261] against a groat,
He’s bigger than e’er our foal will be.’
XVI
Now all this while in merry Carlisle
The Harper harpit to hie and law;
And the fiend dought they do[1262] but listen him to,
Until that the day began to daw.