at arm's-length, looked on him again for some time, and thus proceeded, "My blessed child, what strange attire is this? Hast thou forgot thy country and religion, and grown heathen? Children will stare at thee-old men will shake their heads at thee

as they pass, and say, ' He resembles not his grave ancestors of old,'-and when thou goest to church, there will be little grace and less spirit among our matrons, if they rise not up and throw their psalmbooks at thee. For shame, Lord Dalveen; let us have thee in a manly dress becoming thy country and rank; I would rather see thee in a shepherd's maud than in that robe of silk. But thou art welcome-dearly welcome. Blessed be the morning that brings thee back, the wind which wafts thee, and the sea which conveys thee to my aged arms."

"My honoured mother," answered Lord Dalveen, "I bow to your reproof; but you ought to bear in mind, that I am come from a land where little could be learned but folly,-where vice woos man in all its seductive shapes, and where, with a land of paradise and a climate of heaven, the people are demons."" Alas, my child," said the venerable lady, "I have heard something of this. I had misgivings of heart that day ye went abroad. I dreaded that your vivacity, your fluctuations of temper and waywardness of heart, would conspire against your good name. But come to the home of your fathers come and raise up that which time and misfortune, and, alas! that I should have

it to say, misdeeds, have been plucking down and levelling with the dust." And she looked at the castle of Dalveen, and sighed to see that its crumbling walls and towers formed such a comment on her speech.

A week had elapsed since the coming of the young nobleman, and as he was now of age, his succession was expected to be celebrated with all and more than the profusion corresponding with the fallen fortunes of the family. The old avenues were cleared, the walls disencumbered of such weeds and flowers as the wind had sown in their chinks, the flowering and grassy mantle was removed from the moat, while, from the summit of the central tower, the ancient banner of the family was displayed. These changes were effected by the anxiety of Lady Emeline and the activity of her granddaughter. Lord Dalveen himself, after a closeted colloquy of two hours' continuance with the venerable lady, betook himself to the top of the castle, and sat under the waving of the banner for some time, till he had feasted the eager eyes of the peasantry, who gazed upon him from the neighbouring knolls. He then took his fowling-piece, and marked down a few pigeons, which had lately taken possession of a spare turret; the crows, which, confiding in man's protection, had established themselves in the adjoining pines, were the next sufferers; and even the ducks, which swam about in the castle ditch, soon perceived, by their diminish

ing numbers, that an enemy more rapacious than the cook herself had come among them. This kind of pastime lasted but a short while, he betook himself to less gracious pursuits. He went from house to house among his tenants and peasants; and a fair wife or a beauteous daughter obtained such notice, as spread alarm in the bosoms of various families. The boldness of his glances, the familiarity of his conversation, and the lavish admiration which he bestowed, confirmed the general reports of his foreign debaucheries, and added the belief, that he was come home confirmed in vice, and resolved to continue his evil courses. This, however, he soon learned, could not be done without opposition and danger.

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He had flung his bridle on his horse's neck, and was already on the threshold of a farmer's door, who had a fair daughter and a very courageous wife, when he was met by the latter with a courtesy, and "What's your honour's will ?"" Your husband, I know, is from home," said Lord Dalveen; you are busied in domestic thrift, and all that I have got to say may be told to your daughter. I saw her face at the window even now, and a pretty one it is." Neither rank nor audacity awed the intrepid mother; she stood before him like one determined to do battle with hand as well as tongue. The latter weapon, grown sharp and active from frequent use, came into action first. "Over my threshold," she said, "shall ye not

come on any such graceless errand. Go and seek limmers of your own station-carry shame among the rich and noble-ye will find them as easy to be overcome as the poor, and they can better afford to be foolish. The fox never touches a hen near his ain haddin. O that I had my ain goodman here, he would measure ye the breadth o' yere back on yere ain land; little hauds my hands frae writing my anger on yere brazen face. And it's a weel-faured face too,-the mair's the pity that it belangs to sic a heart.”

The young nobleman appeared to enjoy the good wife's fury, and was on the point of winning his way in with a soothing word and a smile, when her daughter suddenly came to her side, and said, "Be moderate, mother, I have business with Lord Dalveen." He accompanied her into a little chamber where the family kept their household riches webs, butter and cheese. She placed him beside her on a chair, sat silent for a minute's space, and said, "My Lord, I desire not to know your errand to me, nor does it become a maiden to imagine it. But well do I believe that a power above directed your steps, and, in the assurance that you would come, I have kept myself prepared for the meeting. You need not smile, my Lord, I shall find out a graver mood for you ere I have done."

She rose, and opening a little cabinet, took out a small bonnet of blue velvet, which bore a plume

of variegated feathers, fastened with a band of pearls set in gold. She also took out a ring and a slip of perfumed paper, on which some lines were written and names signed. Placing them before him, she inquired, "Know ye these, Lord Dalveen ?" He looked at them with a hasty and a regardless eye, and taking up the velvet bonnet, observed, "This is well fancied now, and neat, and becomes your glowing face and sparkling eye-only such a face requires no allurements." She rose, stood apart from him, and addressed him thus: "I said, Lord Dalveen, that I had business with you.-I bear a commission from the grave. She who wore that bauble, and believed that scrawled falsehood, lies low in Siddick kirkyard.-He whose perfidy sent her there sits now before me-sits unmoved, too, and hears of the wreck of one of the sweetest and truest hearts that ever beat to a villain's tale. Now get up and begone—I have fulfilled my promise. You hear me unmoved. I ever said you were base of heart, and perfidious of nature, but I did not believe a tale so sad as this would not have touched you. Depart from this house, for as sure as God is in heaven there will be a judgment seen upon you. O, that I were a man only for seven minutes, that I might teach you how I loathe and detest you!”—“ Peggie," whispered a stout brawny youth who held her father's plough" Peggie, fash na yersel wi' a beard for sic a darke, only say ve'll give me a hour's wooing behind the hay