heart or yours. What do you think, my improvident Gatty? From the first hour that my son knew you, you were the sole object of all his love and all his ambition. There never was living man who loved with a more pure and ardent affection; and it was only from a full conviction of your settled and growing aversion, that he was of late reluctantly compelled to abandon the happy prospect, in which he had indulged, of a union with you. Would you believe it? I wept like a child, when, with tears in his manly eyes, he recounted to me the plans of life he had laid out, with you, and himself, and Joseph united; and to think how all these have been blasted by a shy and maidenly misunderstanding, is enough to rend the misguided heart! When he saw that you had fled from his society, as a thing no longer to be borne, it seems he had begun to cast about for happiness elsewhere; and, taken with the unaffected kindness and childish simplicity of little Cherry, what does he, but, in the bitterness of disappointment, offer her his heart and his hand; which were at once accepted with gratitude, and without either a blush or a frown. He has promised her marriage immediately, and the poor little-innocent being is all on tiptoe expecting the wedding day; so that, instead of my own darling, the pride and flower of the Lowland Border, the simple, half-witted, fortuneless Cherry Elliot is to be my daughter-in-law. The very idea is absolutely insufferable. I told him you loved him--loved him with an affection so ardent, that it had rendered you scarcely mistress of your words or actions, and that you were not accountable for them".

"Is this true?" said Mrs. Bell, laying the letter on

her knee.

Gatty was so dreadfully agitated that she could not answer her.

"You have indeed been a silly girl, and acted the part of a fool," continued she. "Love, fortune, and

titles all sacrificed for what?"

She lifted the letter, and went on :

"I told him farther, that your heart would break; that I knew it from the ardour and warmth of your affection for him,-you were incapable of supporting life without him.-I would rather die myself,' said he, 'ere I violated the affections of that inestimable young lady. But what can I do? I would willingly lay down my life for her; but my honour is engaged, and I cannot lay down that.""

Gatty uttered a long and profound groan, and there is little doubt it was from the heart.

The letter went on :

666 Why did none of you tell me of this sooner? It has rendered me wretched for life! Let me act which way I will, I must now be wretched!'-' Cherry is a mere plaything,' said I; a creature so light, so thoughtless, and so volatile, that she will be as glad to be off with you to-day, as she was to be on with you the one preceding.' 'If I thought that,' said he.'You may think so with safety,' added I. And is the life of Agatha Bell to be thrown away for a toy? Ah, my dear son, you must not think of it! The hap piness, nay, the life of her you love, your own happiness, and that of your only surviving parent, all de. pend on this one act of yours; and you must arouse your spirit to its accomplishment. Consider that,

with Cherry's lightness of heart, the alteration in the arrangement can in nowise affect her; and consider the injustice you would do to Cherry, were you to marry her while your heart is wholly another's. It is absolute prostitution, and must not be thought of."

Gatty turned herself twice over on the couch; and, rising up on her elbow, desired her mother to read these sentences over again.

The old lady complied, and added, that the worthy nurse was quite right, the thing was not to be thought of.

"God keep me from being selfish!" said Gatty. "Let me try to put myself in my cousin's place, and behave as I could wish her to behave to me; but one cannot help her heart's wishes.-I think, mother, I VOL. I.

16

shall get up. I am wearying to be out, to get a lightsome walk."

"Do, my dear," said Mrs. Bell.

"But I have only a few lines to read; remain where you are till you hear the letter out."

She went on :—

"It is absolute prostitution, and must not be thought of.'-When I said this, my dear son eyed me with a piteous look, and, groaning in spirit, said, 'Consider, my dearest friend and parent, that my word of honour is engaged,-my hand is pledged to an amiable child of nature. Bid me do any thing, but do not compel me to break my word of honour. How could I address poor Cherry, and tell her that she must give up her claim, or that I had retracted? No, no! wretched I must be; but my kind and sweet little Cherry must not be kicked aside, and left to perish as a thing of no value !'-And with that he rose and left me; but he was so much moved, that my heart bled for him.

"I have begged of him to come and see you; to write to you; to write to your father; to Joseph; in short to do any thing to keep up the connexion with you, and postpone the consummation of his arrangements with Cherry; but hitherto, as far as I can judge, I have entreated in vam. What is to be the issue I cannot foresee, but I dread it will be nothing good. Be assured, my dear Gatty, you have always one sincere friend, who will never lose sight of your interests, or of your wronged affections for a moment. "Yours ever, &c.

"AGNES M'- 12

"Well, child, how do you feel now in this dilemma ?” said Mrs. Bell.

"As one whose hope is utterly lost," replied her daughter. "I have now done with every thing in this world, one only excepted; and it is time I were turning my mind seriously to that."

&6

I think otherwise," rejoined the dame; " but if

you had asked my advice, matters had never come to this pass. Still, I conceive, that, with a little coercion, your lover may be reclaimed. What is Cherubina Elliot, that she should be suffered to derange the affairs of her betters? A toy! that we sent, at our own expense, to get a little education, and be a sort of a companion, or rather an upper waiting maid to attend to you and she to set up her baby-face to be an obstacle to the desires of so many people of quality! I will tell you what I think should be done with her. She should be well skelped with a pair of good taws, burnt on the tips, and sent home to her crazy mother. I'll write Mrs. Johnson without delay, and order her to do so :-to yerk the fingers of the urchin till the blood follows the operation, and then to send her home with the carrier. Yes, I'll tell her to send her home with the carrier. She set up to be a bride, and unite the titles of M'— and Boroland in one, forsooth! I wish I had the taws in my own hand, or a good ducking of the monkey before her lover."

"Cease, dear mother," said Gatty, "and do not irritate me against my cousin. I feel I can hardly refrain from hating her, and it is neither my duty nor my right to do so. Yet I cannot say she is blameless, for it was she who told my lover all my unguarded expressions, which provoked him so much-things that I uttered when I hardly knew what I said. You have now found out the latent cause of all my inconsistencies and disorders. I have behaved worse than a child, and it is but, justice I should be the sufferer. Well, Cherry is the happy girl! what would I give this night to be the poor little friendless, fortuneless Cher

"How can you say so, daughter? such a wish shows the meanness of your spirit. I declare that little cub -I have no patience with her!"

At this part of the colloquy they heard Daniel's foot coming thumping up the stair, and instantly he was with them." What, in bed again, daughter?" said he. "I wish you had a good companion to keep you company in it, since you like it sae weel. But aha,

lass! ye're no sae far forret as some o' your neighbours that you little think of. I hae braw news for ye the day. Hear siccan a letter as I hae gotten.Hem !""

"DEAREST UNCLE,”—Hem!

"I wrote to my cousin the other day, and expected a letter back with the post-carrier, but it is not come, and I therefore address myself to you to let you know, that I am to be married as soon as I get your countenance, and my aunt's, and my cousin's consent to attend me. But O, dear uncle, you never heard such news as I have to tell you. That M'lon, you know, who persecuted cousin so much with his love, that he made her fly the town, finding that he could not get her, has made love to me; and I once thought of stay. ing till I took your advice; but you know I was an orphan, and unprovided, and I could not find in my heart to refuse him; so I took him at his word. Now, I wait but on my cousin coming in to be my best maid, for I cannot do without her, and I know she will enjoy my good fortune so much! And my aunt must also come in, and countenance me, and help me to buy my wed ding things; for though I must now be far above them in the world, and keep my coach and all that, yet they are above me as yet, and I wish to pay them all the attention I can as long as I have it my power."

All the time that Daniel had been reading, his dame kept making a chicking sound with her tongue by way of derision. But at this part she lost all patience; and, snatching at the letter, she tore a piece out of it, but he wheeled about with his shoulder to her, and kept his hold. "The chit!" the baby! the impertinent little cub!" exclaimed she. Heard any person ever the like of that? Give me the scrawl, Mr. Bell. I say, give me that provoking hateful scrawl."

"What to do wi't, mistress?" said Daniel, turning still round as she advanced on him. "Stay till I read it out, and then light your pipe wi't, for aught I care. What ails ye at our poor fatherless niece's bit wedding