"Aw joost prays aye to be keepit frae the men, the de'il, an' a breed o' toops. Focks soudna sin their mercies, ye ken, maister.-Gude mornin' t'ye, sir.An little dogs hae the langest tails, what's to come o' the maskis ?""

Grizzy went off giggling, and left her master; for Daniel's servants stood little in awe of him. He spit out his quid, cursed her heartily, and then, bursting out a laughing, he went out to his tups, whistling "Tarry woo." Such colloquies were occurring at Bellsburnfoot every hour of the day.

One evening as Mrs. Bell and Gatty were walking by the burn side, they beheld the Pringleton postchaise leave the turnpike, and come lumbering up the cart-road. The two ladies made for home as fast as they could; but Gatty's limbs failed so much, that her mother had almost to drag her in. When there she had every appearance of fainting, for her colour went and came as quick as the passing shadows of the clouds over the mountains, when the rack of heaven flies quickest on the wind.

"I shall never gather courage to meet him again," said she, “after the way in which I have behaved. I followed the course which I thought became the dignity of my sex, but there never was one who exposed its weakness so much. Dearest mother, what shall I do? for I feel I cannot look him in the face.”

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Why, child, you have shown too much of that shyness already, which has been to make up again with interest," said the dame. Drop it now for ever; and meet him with open arms, as an old and beloved acquaintance, taking no notice of any thing that has befallen, till an explanation fall in naturally of its own accord."

Gatty approved of the advice, but was unable to put it in practice. When the sound of the coach-wheels fell on her ears she was obliged to retire; but in a few minutes Cherry had her in her arms. There was no reserve of kindness and generosity in Cherry's whole disposition; they flowed so freely that they ran beyond

their supply. Gatty returned her embrace with great affection; but as soon as Cherry's eyes fixed on her cousin's face, she started back, still gazing at her, exclaiming with great fervour, "Ah! I have indeed not been deceived! you have suffered much more than was represented to me. Such a change, in so short a time, I never beheld!"

"I was just about to make the same remark of you," said Gatty in return; "I think your looks greatly altered for the worse."

"Me! I never was so well in my life, nor so merry, nor so happy. Believe me, cousin, you have taken a load of greatness from my shoulders that would have crushed me to nothing."

"Dearest Cherry, how shall I ever repay your generosity? I am utterly ashamed of it."

"Ay, but your generosity to me began first, cousin. A body that studies no one's happiness but her own, does not deserve that any friend should study hers. Think you, I will not be happier as I am, seeing you all so happy, than if I had proved a mere selfish creature? But indeed you did very wrong in leaving us; Ah, you did indeed. You do not yet know the extent of the evil, but you will know it ere long. I-I mean, because he did not deserve such treatment at your hands, that's all."

Mrs. Johnson at this moment came in, and stopped farther remarks on that delicate point.

It would be endless to recount all that passed among these attached friends; but the meeting of the two lovers, after so long a misunderstanding, was truly affecting. It is impossible for me to delineate the embarrassment of Gatty's looks, or the poignancy of the feelings that warred in her bosom, where love, shame, and gratitude, were all in motion. His behaviour to her was marked with that deference and respect by which it had always been distinguished; till, by degrees, the reserve wore off, and then the two indulged in the fullest enjoyment of mutual love.

Cherry's manner was so marked with hilarity, either real or affected, that her disappointed hopes scarcely seemed to mar their cup of bliss. Daniel's attentions to her were unintermitted. He caressed her more than he did all the rest of his family put together; and not being able to contain his grand project in her favour, he told her, that he intended her for his daughterin-law, by bringing about a marriage between her and his son Joseph. Mrs. Bell cast her head very high at this without any farther remark; but the theme served Cherry for many an apparently merry hour with Joseph, when mirth was far from her heart. She contrived to keep up that or some joke incessantly; yet, at times, when the lovers were walking by themselves, she would sometimes cross her hands and sigh; and then she could not refrain from always going to the window, and looking out after them. On their return into the house, M'Ion never failed to caress her, toying with her, and calling her his sister; thereby pouring the only balm of consolation on her wounded heart that was in his power to bestow, and kindling her sunken eye with a beam of delight. These beams on her countenance were always as brilliant as they were shortlived, for, alas! they were tasted with a bitter alloy.

Every explanation having been previously extracted by letter, the obvious progress of events was perfectly apparent, and perfectly understood between the two lovers. There were no preliminaries to be agreed upon save one, which Daniel judged to be incumbent on himself, namely, the doubling of his son-in-law's income; and M'Ion was actually bored, night after night, with dissertations on the value of different breeds of tups, till there is little doubt of his joining most fervently in a portion of fat Grizzy's prayer.

I know of no topic so utterly disgusting to people not interested in it; yet, over a part of Scotland,

I will defy a stranger to hear aught else at a social meeting. Converse with our hinds and shepherds, you will find men willing to communicate, and anxious to learn; but with the store-farmers, it is tups, lambs, crock-ewes, and prices, without end, and without mitigation. I would rather sit in a cottage, with an old wife smoking tobacco, and listen to Ralph Erskine's Gospel Sonnets.

CIRCLE SIXTH.

THE wedding-day at length arrived, and Dr. Kid came up well-powdered to Bellsburnfoot, where a number of genteel associates were collected, to wish the young chief and his lady much joy, and dine with them.

There was nothing particular happened that day, save that the bride-maid seemed peculiary absent and thoughtful, caring for nothing, and attending to nothing. What were the secret workings of her heart it is hard to say. Perhaps she had still cherished some feeble spark of hope, that, through the workings of an inscrutable Providence, M'Ion might yet be her own; perhaps it was some hard reflection that Mrs. Bell had thrown out to her in private; or perhaps it was some inward malady preying on her vitals. But certain it was, that, from that day her manner changed from the height of apparent gayety to a sedate and languid thoughtfulness.

During the time of the momentous ceremony, when the Doctor desired the parties to join hands, Cherry. being principal bride-maid, was standing at the bride's left hand, like a comely statue of Corinthian marble, as pale and as motionless.

"Join hands," said the Doctor.

Gatty turned her right hand across her bosom that her cousin might draw her glove, but Cherry took no notice of it. A pause ensued in the ceremony; which Cherry never so much as perceived, but kept her still and statue-like position.

"The parties will please to join hands," repeated

the Doctor.

M'Ion's hand was already extended: the bride gave her maiden a quick tap on the arm to remind her of her duty; Cherry started as from a dream, but, in