the profane tongue that dares so much as mince at a meaning so far out of character ?"

Daniel capered out of the room, singing the reel of Tullochgorum, and snapping his fingers to the tune. When he had gone over the first part of the tune in that style, he danced the highland fling to the second part, leaping, wheeling, and singing, with great vigour,

"Umti-tumti-eiden-dee,

Umti-tumti, umti-tumti," &c.

Surprised as the ladies were at the pillow scene, they were ten times more appalled at the extravagance of Mr. Bell's behaviour now, with the reel of Tullochgorum; and they both with one voice pronounced him to be bewitched. To their eyes, be appeared precisely as if labouring under the effects of enchantment; they had never seen him affected in the same manner before, and they were both petrified with astonishment.

"What has come over you, Mr. Bell?" said the lady; "have you made yourself drunk at the fold?"" "Drunk, mistress!" cried Daniel; "I hae nae tasted aught stronger than raw whey this day. But I'll gae back to the fauld again--I think Davie Shiel and I will 'gree better about drawing the ewes now.I hardly like the she-creatures sae ill as I did, and I winna despise a breeding gimme, after a', mistress-a body may be mista'en about them, ye ken. Grizzy!" cried he, as he went by the kitchen-" Grizzy, ye thrawn, ill-natured, fiery dragon ?-tak a' the sticks about the town, and burn them; and gin they winna tire ye o' muckle fires, d-n ye, set the peat-stack in a lowe, and rin through the reek!"

"Hech, wow, sirs! aw wonder what's i' the wund now?" quoth Grizzy." Aw wuss focks wad keep some kind o' mids, an' no blawter away into 'stremities.-Little wutt i' the pow hauds the caunnle to the lowe."

Davie Shiel was still busy sorting the ewes as well

as he was able, when he beheld his master coming towards him with long strides. "Oh, yonder he's again!" said Davie; "if he be nae better tuned than he was afore, he'll spoil my hirsel."

But Daniel had no sooner opened his mouth, than his shepherd's confidence in his master returned, and the two went on like clock-work, selecting the draughts of the season,-save that, in place of being for them all away, Daniel could scarcely be induced to part with any of them.

"That's but a singit-looking jaud, master," said Davie; "I think ye should be letting her gae her ways -she's really no a gude sheep."

"Hout! she'll grow better, Davie," returned he ; "I like a good breeder.-She brought me a good toop lamb.

"But see, master, here's a toop-eild ewe. Ye maun put this ane away."

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Ah, na, na, Davie, lad!—I like a toop-eild creature, an' canna bide to part wi' that ane."

"Ye like them a' now thegither, and yet it's no sae lang sin' ye coudna bide ane o' them," said Davie, scratching his head.-"I wish fock wadna just rin to extremities."

"'Stremities again!" said Daniel-" naething but rebuffs gaun !-But, Davie, it is weel kend ye are as good a judge o' the lasses as the crock ewes, ony day; an' ye may let a man hae his humours, that seeks them only at his ain expense."

The sheep-fold business then went on very well, till

its conclusion.

When Daniel returned home, a different and more interesting scene was going on in the parlour. Jaggs had brought two letters from the post-office, beside the one from Cherry, which had affected her intended bride maid so deeply. One of these was to Joseph, requesting his immediate attendance in Edinburgh, and was couched in these words :

"COUSIN JOE, "Things are coming to a point with me, so you must come here, or else they will come to thee. As I told you, I have rashly made three promises of marriage, (foreby that to your sister, which was four, and two others at home, that are not claimed.) But here the people look sharply about them, and words will not pass for wind, although they are little else— therefore the beautiful Kate M'Nab, and the two Miss Moys, all claim me for their man, and threaten the law. I have some strong proofs against the latter of extraordinary freedom of behaviour, going even the length of drinking and sleeping with sundry gentlemen. I never pretend to like a woman much the worst of this last, for I think it a quality bespeaking much kindness of heart, and I count them the best judges of such things themselves; but I do not like women that fill themselves drunk with plotty wine, and take one name to one man, and another name to another; so I'll not have any one of them, if I can help it, and I do not see how the law can oblige me to marry three. I am not afraid of cousin Aggy claiming, but terrified for my uncle and aunt; so, dear Joe, you must bring me off there; for I am determined to marry the lovely and loving Miss M'Nab. For all the money and all the beauty that she has, she needs no courting, and has never needed any, but jeers me with a kind of melancholy good humour every day for not marrying her. Now, this cast of melancholy about her, that she is constantly trying to overcome, is occasioned by love, -and how can I but adore her? She has made me cleed myself anew, and she walks the Prince's Street every day with me, and my wounded arm in a sling, which is quite the fashion here, and has more effect with the ladies than all things else in the world. I think she makes rather too great a show of her affec tion for me, but, as it is all out of true love, I like he the better-what can I do? In truth, I shall soon be married man; but, if you do not come to me, I shal to a certainty be getting into more scrapes; and, th

you will be the last man that will try to keep out of them, yet, when I have you with me, the more the better, which is all from

Your most obedient servant,

RICH. RICKLETON."

The other letter was to Miss Bell; but she had thrust it into her pocket on opening Cherry's, and from the perplexity into which that had thrown her, she had quite forgot it. Her mother had been teasing her for an explanation of some sentences she had uttered when in extremity, and ultimately for a perusal of the letter that had occasioned them, until at length Gatty yielded, and, putting her hand reluctantly into her pocket to deliver to her mother Cherry's letter, quite forgetting that she had burnt it, she took out the following, which she put into her hand. Her mother read it aloud, and the interest with which the daughter listened to it may well be conceived.

"MY DEAREST CHILD,

"EDINBURGH, August 16.

"I have news to send you of no ordinary interest, and news that I hope will make you and me happy together as long as we live-news, such as never were related by one friend to another; so singular in their operations have the events been, and so demonstrative of an overruling Providence presiding in the affairs of men. Your lover's genealogy is now no longer doubtful-the history of his birth and connexions has been laid open to me in the fullest manner; but I must give you it in his own words, else it cannot interest you as it has interested me. I had given him hint after hint about it, all on your account, till at length he felt that he lay under some restraint with me; and yesterday, being confined to his bed by a giddiness, proceeding from the effects of the wound he received in the head, I thought proper to attend him almost the whole day; and Cherry being out in the evening, I made tea for him. I can never since remember what I was saying to him at the time--it might be something about

his kindred, but I do not think it was; however, I know it was something in which I felt interested; it, however, vanished from my memory, never to be recalled, as he took my hand in his, and said

"My dear Mrs. Johnson, you have taken such an interest in me from the day that we were first acquainted, and have been so kind to me, that I feel I owe you more than any common acknowledgment can repay. You have so often made inquiries at me about my parents, I am ashamed that I have never let you know all about them that I know myself, which is but very little. My mother I never beheld, and all that ever I heard of her was from my nurse, who was devoted to my father's house, and of course my mother's enemy. My father, it seems, made some improper connexion in his youth, while attending the university and the courts of law in this city. Improper it must have been, as it displeased his parents, and was the cause of many heart-burnings and grievous misfortunes. According to my nurse's edition of the story, he seduced the daughter of a decayed gentleman by a sham marriage, and of that marriage I was the fruit. My grandfather, being the head of an old family, and chief of a once powerful clan, was highly indignant at this connexion. He recalled his son instantly from Edinburgh, and, in a circle of his proud relations, stated the disgrace that he had brought on his family and clan, and commanded him peremptorily to renounce his leman, on pain of being disinherited of two properties, his father's own, and his father's brother's, to both of whom my father was the heir. Ere ever

they gave him time to answer for himself, my grandfather farther stated to him, that he had procured him a high commission in the army, near the person of the British commander himself, and that his services were required without any delay. This was what my father had all his life desired; and, on his father promising to provide for his mistress till his return, which he did with great readiness, my father went on board, and joined the army on a foreign station.

VOL. I.

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