As he reached the middle of the field, the wind was suddenly there with a low sough from out of the north-west.

The heads of barley in the sheaves leaned away with a soft rustling from before it; and Robert felt for the first time the sadness of a harvest-field.

Then the wind swept away to the pine-covered hill, and raised a rushing and a wailing amongst its thin-clad branches, and to the ear of Robert the trees were singing over again in their night solitudes the air sung by the cottar's family.

When he looked to the north-west, whence the wind came, he saw nothing but a pale cleft in the sky.

The meaning, the music of the night awoke in his soul; he forgot his lame foot, and the weight of Mr.Lammie's great boots, ran home and up the stair to his own room, seized his violin with eager haste, nor laid it down again till he could draw from it, at will, a sound like the moaning of the wind over the stubble-field.