stack, and see if I dinna souple his banes till he's as feckless as a thrashen straw."-Peggie smiled a stolen smile to this doughty auxiliary, while Lord Dalveen walked to the door, and stood with the bridle of his horse in his hand, seemingly undetermined what to do.

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Peggie, my dow," said her mother in something of a chiding tone, "ye have spoken over freely to the young nobleman-he's no half sae bad as he's called; and if lasses will be foolish, can they expect lads to be wise. Ye ken the quean that's gone was a glaiket creature, ken'd na weel whilk end on her was up-nought better could befal a daft hempie, wha wore fowl's feathers in her head, as thy douce father says. Now, the young lord's a wanter, and yere weel-faured and discreet-and wha kens what might happen-as great a ferlie has faun out-as broken a ship has come to land-as mad a horse has been safely shod. But what am I talking about, rin, ye idle queans, and get in the washen claes-see the Gateslack's fou o' darkness, and Criffel has on her doomster cap o' clouds-there will be a plump o' rain that wad turn a barley mill-rin—and there's fire in the air too."

Lord Dalveen stood beneath a large ash tree within a few paces of the door, and with his foot in the stirrup, and his hand on his horse's mane, listened with a smile to the audible whisperings of the farmer's wife. A light in the air was in an

instant seen and gone-the horse of the young nobleman dropt lifeless at his feet, and the lofty tree, under which he stood, was shivered into ten thousand splinters, and scattered over the ground like straw; large rain-drops gushed down, and a peal of thunder gave audible assurance that the hand of God had been there. He looked on the solid ground, plowed with lightning under his very feet as if it had been done with a plowshare -on the steed which but a moment before had been returning the caress of his hand with an arched neck, and a paw and neigh-on the tree shorn down and shredded, which had sheltered him under its shade—he gave a low sigh, and walked slowly and silently away.

This story soon ran, or rather flew, over the district, receiving an addition at every resting place, of some circumstance of terror, and many a wild embellishment. As it happened on the morning of that day with which our narrative commences, it afforded fine scope for the wisdom of the district, which was summoned from hall and cot-house to celebrate the birth-day of Lord Dalveen. It had found its way in many a whisper and shake of the head into the castle; and, in spite of the attractions of glittering lamps, displayed banners, and profuse hospitality, it circulated among the guests and dependants with the wicked speed of all evil tidings. It had come to the ears of young Paul, who, seated apart in a recess, seemed busied with

other things than the scene of mirth and joy before him; for day was now gone, and beneath the flame of many a lamp and torch and waving banner, an hundred feet were lifted to the awakened music, and their descent upon the glossy oaken floor resounded a measured mile.

Paul's thoughts, whether sad or gay, were interrupted by the approach of one of the sagacious old ladies of the parish, the lightness of whose foot had yielded to the encumbrance of threescore years, but whose activity of tongue neither age nor time could impair. She placed herself beside him, saying, "Eh, sirs, but this be a fearfu' scene of folly." And having thus entered her protest against mirth, she turned half round and pounced at once on her victim. "Bless me, Johnie Paul, ye have been a wearyfu time away-and sae altered too-ye ran off as white as an April lily, and yere come back as brown as a berry-but time changes all things-it has turned thee frae a raw haspan of a callan into a stalwart chield, with a steeve shank, and a look like the sea-falcon, while it has made my lightsome foot as heavy as if it were shod with lead. Time's a sair acquaintance at last. I could ance hae skipped higher than Kate Tamson there, where she's louping as if the young lord would care for her muck-the-byre hap-steps-and-loups, showing her gartens at every spring-my certie, she'll come in o' her skipping yet; I never saw a quean that flang in that flaga

rie gate, that didnae gie wark to the cannie wife before she fand the way to the minister."

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Aye, truly, dame Kissock," said Paul, “ye have seen many a lively lass tamed down in your day, and ye may live to see Kate Tamson receiving the minister's advice in the face of the whole congregation. But there's no dependance on human frailty; and those who skip low, as well as those who skip high, have sometimes forgotten themselves as they went home in the dark when the dance was done."-"When the dance was done, lad !" exclaimed dame Kissock, "I wotna wha ye can mean. Nought ever kythed wi' me; and I have gone hame in the dark frae a dance, and no my lane either. Gif my auldest bairn did come a gliff owre soon to the world after wedlock, I couldna help the sair fright that did it." And she tossed her gray head in scorn of the insinuation.

Silence was, however, far too painful a situation for dame Kissock." See him," she said, "see the wild young lord-he's come to the top o' the dance, and leading auld Maggie Muirhead by the hand, as sure as I shall answer for sins wrought in the body. Oh, sirs, the follies o' this age-she's a' rheumatized in the right side, and has used a crutch for the left since a week afore Yule. But there stands runkled Maggie, and here sit I, though six years younger by the season, and ten years younger by nature-the young men of this

age are no like the blessed youths of the year of repentance, Thirty and aught.”

Paul smiling, asked dame Kissock's company to the floor, and, with a commendable gravity of deportment, conducted her down all the mazes of a country dance, in which she acquitted herself with such unexpected grace and activity, as obtained the applause of two of the leading musicians. Paul seemed desirous of escaping from the tyranny of one who possessed such various arts of annoyance, but in this he was not to be indulged—she accompanied him to his seat, placed herself, glowing with the labours of the dance, by his side, and soon made him sensible that her powers of conversation were unimpaired. "Aweel," she said, "I didnae think I could have done't—it's wonderful how an auld head, and something of a wise one, will be carried away with foolish feet. I winna deny but that carried quean, Kate Tamson, said what was truth,-there's mair sense in Kate than some folk think-it's no the brawling brook that drowns fowk-and it's no the rattling cart that's soonest coupit. Look at dame Kissock, quo' she, when she's got fairly into the stream o' the music she swooms o'er us a' like foam on the Solway wave. I maun look to the lassie, there's haurls o' sense about her, daft though she be." She suddenly changed her laughing look, drew closer to Paul, and said in a slow tone of voice :