necessary food. O grant me my request! for, as of old, Thou didst suffer none to do Thy chosen ones harm, yea, for the sake of Thy prophets didst reprove mighty kings, so now, if I be among the number of Thy people, Thou canst, who hast the hearts of all men in Thy hand, not only restrain, but reprove the bold offender, and keep me safe in the midst of danger; and, as a sign of my gratitude for Thy great goodness, not a little, but all I am, have, or can do, shall, all my lifetime, be devoted to the advancement of Thy glory and honour of Thy name.-Meikle.

MAGDALENE NISBET,

THE MAIDEN OF THE MERSE:

Expire before the flowers in their caps,
Dying or ere they sicken.'

Resuming his seat between his companions, he said, as he glanced now from one to the other, 'We must act spiritedly

Second's Time.

CHAPTER XII.

IT was the end of March, and amidst the shades of the gloaming. The lower circle of the sky was filled with masses of purple clouds, here stranded in a sea of pale vermilion, and there in one of the faintest emerald; while above sprang the cold, clear, blue arch, in which Mars and Venus were sparkling like two fountains bubbling over with gold and silver waves. Then the Duke of Hamilton, and the Earls of Haddington and Roxburgh, arriving from different directions, met in the house of Kames. Their purpose was to spend the night there, and early in the morning to start for London. They came, each accompanied by a servant; and they were received by an old man, Abraham Blackadder, who was a servant, and the only inmate on that night of the house, and who, by the orders of his master, a friend of Earl Roxburgh, had made preparations for their reception. They were introduced into a room where blazed a cheery fire, and where, after having enjoyed some refreshment, their conversation naturally turned to the dismal condition of their country as the occasion of ¡their meeting, and of their intended journey to London. The Earls sat facing each other by the fire-place, while the Duke, with a thoughtful and even anxious shade on his face, rose amid a pause in the conversation, and began to pace the room backwards and forwards, repeated loud enough to be

prevent another Cromwell from rising up to overturn and destroy both king and nobles.'

'Cromwells,' replied Roxburgh, 6 are like comets; they come once only in the course of centuries. We need a Cromwell, but we shall not get him, for we do not deserve him, inasmuch as we had not sense to value him when we had him.'

'We were hard taxed under Oliver,' said Haddingion; 'and Dukes and Earls were held in little estimation, but we had respect and honour, and liberty of conscience, and peace and prosperity. The laird sat snugly in his castle, and the hind in his cottage on the cauld winter night; and even the gaberlunzie kend where to find a bicker o' brose, a noggin o' ale, and a wisp o' straw to rest his head on. We ploughed our fields below the singing laverocks in spring-time, and we gathered in our stooks amang the whirring partridges in harvest, and rich and poor lived in a sort of land o' the leal. But what see we now? Profligacy rampant at the Court, defeat and disgrace attending our arms, old cavaliers neglected, and apostate Covenanters rewarded, pipers' grandsons turned into Archbishops, and painted madams made duchesses; lairds and tenants, through Bonds and Lawburrows, set by the lugs thegither like collies on a merkit-day; fields neglected; poverty and dirt glowring at the traveller frae every cottage door; poor creatures, for worshipping God according to their conscience, shot down in the fields like tods or brocks;

prisons filled; rotten ships sent out on purpose to founder at sea, with every soul on board; ropes with God-fearing weavers, and dyesters, and hinds dangling deathfully at the end of them; axes dripping with the blood of nobles and gentles; and city gates turned into a shambles, by reason of bloody heads and putrifying limbs being stuck on them to rot in the sun. Cromwell ruled us like a lion; but Lauderdale and Sharpe tear us like wolves!'

'I was told in Edinburgh,' said Hamilton, 'that Sir John Cunningham and Sir George Lockhart have gone to London to remonstrate against the Bond and Lawburrows; so you see we shall have supporters.'

"They?' replied Roxburgh; 'why, both have signed the Bond!'

'True,' returned the Duke; and that I will not justify: but I am glad that two such able lawyers are so clear anent the unlawfulness of the Bond and Lawburrows, that they consider it necessary to go to London to protest. This, I think, is a feather in our cap; for the remonstrances of such men must strengthen our hands. Then, consider that I have the King's authority to bring our wrongs before him; for when last at Court his Majesty said to me, 'Duke, come to myself when you have wrongs to complain of. Moreover, the House of Hamilton has surely claims on the Royal ear and helping hand; for has not the blood of the Dukes of Hamilton been shed both on scaffold and battle-field for the King's throne? Put that and that together then, my Lord of Roxburgh, and say if, amid all our discouragements, we have not some hope of obtaining redress.'

'I am far from being so hopeful as your Grace,' replied Roxburgh. Gratitude for past favours is none of the virtues of the King; and I confess that I would have more hope from a word spoken in our behalf by some of the ladies about the Court, than I can have from all your lawyers' statements and protests, from all the King's promises to yourself, and from any sense of obligation which he may cherish towards the House of Hamilton for either its services or sufferings in the Royal cause. Still I think it is our duty to see the King, and by telling him of the dismal confusion and woe to which tyranny and misgovernment have reduced our bleeding country, to absolve our souls from the guilt which must at

length bring down the vengeance of Heaven on the criminals!'

'Yes,' said Haddington; 'let us see the King, and like honest men tell him our minds. We have

But just then the door opened, and old Abraham unceremoniously ushered into the room Magdalene Nisbet, who stood blushing with maidenly modesty in the midst of the nobles, and the more so when she saw that the old man evidently intended her to tell her own story without any introduction from him. The noblemen looked with pleased surprise on the blushing girl, and kindly encouraged her to speak. Magdalene's heart was panting so fearfully that she could not speak, and it was only after the lapse of some minutes, that she managed, in broken sentences, and amid rapid breathings, to communicate her story so as fully to inform those persons of their danger.

'But, my pretty lass,' said the Duke, a few moments after Magdalene had concluded her story, 'is not this some dream of your youthful imagination ?'— Nay, blush not,' continued he, as he saw a deeper crimson rise upon the maiden's cheek; 'I mean not to question your truth.'

'I think none the worse of the lassie for blushing,' said Earl Haddington. 'I like to see folks blush; it's a sign that there are both truth and spirit within; and if I were as gleg at my Latin as I hae seen me, I could gie ye auld Terence's classical authority for the fact. But let that pass. I believe this lassie's story, my Lords.'

And sae ye may, and sae ye may!' cried Abraham, now finding the use of his tongue. 'The lass is a mensefu' lass; for divna your Lordships see, divna your Lordships see, that Miss Berwick, who was my mistress, whan I was Sir Brian's servant, has certified the lass to me by a sure token-by a sure token? Divna your Lordships see, divna ye see, that auld Abraham has mair gumption than to hae brocht a stranger lass-a lass without regular certification-into your high and michty presences, your high and michty presences? The auld patriarch kens a heap better than a' that, than a' that!'

'Miss Berwick,' said Roxburgh, frowning; where is she?'

'Hush! hush! hush! ma Lord! ma Lord! ma Lord!' replied the old man. Nane but frien's, nane but frien's, maun hear

o' that. The puir lady's under hidings, and I am the only man in the Merse that kens o' her dwellin', that kens o' her dwellin', savin' and acceptin' Jorello, savin' and acceptin' Jorello.'

'Dwell where she may,' replied Roxburgh, 'it matters not. But, my Lords, this Miss Berwick is a person whom I will not trust. That woman has deceived, and driven from the society of his friends, my gallant and high-spirited companion, Sir William Sunning; and I, at least, will put faith neither in Miss Berwick nor her messenger. I consider this girl has brought us a cock and bull story, unworthy of a moment's serious thought. Pshaw!'

'Nay,' said Magdalene, now recovered from her blushing confusion, and inspired with sudden energy to defend the innocent. 'Say not so, Earl Roxburgh-for Earl Roxburgh I deem thee to be, since thou claimest to be a friend of Sir William Sunning. Couldst thou now see Miss Berwick, hasting with ghostly steps to the grave, and hear her tale of woe, thou wouldst not blame her as in any way the cause of thy friend's calamity.'

'Her tale! pray, what is her tale?' said the still frowning and incredulous Earl.

Magdalene briefly but fully told the story of Olympia Berwick's woes; and so simply and so artlessly did she narrate, that as she proceeded, Roxburgh's countenance might be seen changing from carelessness to attentiveness, and from anger to pity.

'Here has been some deep villany!' exclaimed he, at the conclusion of Magdalene's story. 'I know that Sir William Sunning received a letter from Miss Berwick, in which she renounced him, and told him that her affections were fixed on Sir Hume De Winter; and so great was the shock which the gallant and sensitive Sir William received, that he forthwith retired from the world, and hid himself in a retreat, in which he still remains, and which is unknown, save to Sir Giles Neville, who will divulge it only on some strong necessity. I conceive that necessity has arisen. I shall see Sir Giles when I am south, and shall inform him of these strange particulars. Meanwhile, my pretty maiden, acquaint Miss Berwick that Earl Roxburgh has heard her story, and been so impressed with it, that he deems it necessary to communicate it to Sir Giles Neville, for the purpose of inducing him to disclose the

retreat of Sir William Sunning. Tell that unfortunate lady, that Roxburgh, so soon as he returns from the south, shall see her, and acquaint her with his arrangements.'

"This is all very pretty and sentimental,' said Duke Hamilton, addressing Roxburgh. 'But what do you say now to the story of the curate's plot? Are you still incredulous?'

But ere Roxburgh had time to answer, a loud knock resounded from the hall door. Abraham descended, and immediately returned with three stout young men.

'Here comes Nannie Tamson the henwife's three sons-buirdly fallows, buirdly fallows. That's Bob, that's Jock, and this is Tam-this is Tam. They've come to tell us that there's a band o' thirty men lurkin' in the neighbourin' woods, in the neighbourin' woods, and that words hae been overheard aboot an attack on Kames House, on Kames House. Noo, Earl Roxburgh, what think ye o' that? what think ye o' that?'

'Ha!' said Roxburgh, 'I think I was a fool to disbelieve my pretty blushing maiden here. Let us defend ourselves, my Lords. Abraham, call in our servants. We shall be ten against thirty-rather alarming odds, but we have stout hearts. Bring in your guns, and balls, and powder, Abraham!'

'Servants-servants! the loons ran aff to the yill-hoose, sae soon as their masters' backs were turned. Guns and pouther, guns and pouther! There are jist nane ava in the hoose, nane ava, and there couldna weel be less.'

'Let us barricade doors and windows then,' said the bold Roxburgh, and defend ourselves with pistols, and swords, and bludgeons as we may.'

'Will ye tak' an auld man's plan, an auld man's plan?' said Abraham, fixing a comical look on Roxburgh; and I will manish the matter sae as to save you, and mak' a clean fule o' the curate, a clean fule o' the curate.'

'What is your plan?'

"You nobles jist see this lassie mounted on her powny, on her powny; gie her a convoy a bittock to the south, and syne turn round to the east, to the east; and when ye have gane sae far, turn round by the north, and the west; and when ye hae brocht her near to Tweedaledum Castle, to Tweedaledum Castle, jist come back, and

wait in the plantation easter, till ye see a licht in the window, in the window. By that time the curate will be far on his road wi' his three prizes, and your beds will be ready for ye, ready for ye. A' that you'll loss by it shall jist be your big military cloaks, whilk Bob, and Jock, and Tam here, will need to cover them in your service, in your service. Will that do? will that do, Earl Roxburgh?'

'I see it, Abraham,' said the Earl, smiling. Why, this is far better than fighting and bloodshed; and since our three friends here are to personate us, I think we cannot do better than reward them handsomely. What say you to all this, Duke and Earl?' 'It is ingenious,' said the Duke; and if Abraham and our three friends manage the affair cleverly, it will give us a far more substantial victory over Sharpe and Lauderdale, than if we should put the whole of those thirty vagabonds to the sword. Here, then, my friend, Bob, take this for your reward; for as you and I are about a size, I suppose you must be Duke of Hamilton for the evening; and may the ducal honours sit easier on your head, than ever they have done upon mine!'

Tam, haud up your head,' said Earl Haddington. 'I had an ancestor called Tam o' the Cowgate; if ye only behave yourself this night as menseful as he did, ye will make a better Earl of Haddington than I have ever done. See, there's a hansel for you.'

'Jock,' said Roxburgh, 'there's what will buy a plaid for your mother and a bonnet for yourself; and as you are to be Earl of Roxburgh to-night, see that you don't disgrace the title; or if ye do, expect the Kelso folks, the first time you come near their town, to cast you into a bonfire, and burn ye as if ye were a warlock.'

Magdalene Nisbet and the noblemen now departed, and old Abraham and the Thomsons began to make preparations for the reception of the curate and his party.

'Noo, Bob,' cried Abraham, 'noo, Bob Tamson, as ye are to be the Duke, ye maun cover yoursel' weel up in the Duke's cloak, so that the enemy shall no jalouse ye, shall no jalouse ye.'

'But,' spoke out Jock, 'I'm thinkin' that I hae as gude a richt to be a deuk as Bob there.'

'Clean wrang there, Jock-clean wrang there, Jock,' replied Abraham. It's con

'Ma Lords, ma Lords-save yourselves, save yourselves!' cried Abraham, at the loudest pitch of his voice; and immediately above was heard the tramp of hurrying feet. What could three, however, do against thirty? They were seized, and bound, and placed on horseback, secured by ropes around the waists of stalwart riders; and, after a few moments, carried off amidst the cheers of the triumphant marauders. An hour afterwards, the genuine noblemen returned to Kames, in which they comfortably spent the night, and early next morning, set forth on their important journey to London.

The March morning was beginning to dawn around Curate Jollyfellow and his party, as they rode away with their prisoners among the distant hills. As the morning brightened, Ringan Jakes, who was one of the party, and who was well acquainted with the Thomsons, began to have his suspicions awakened, particularly regarding the Earl of Roxburgh. Ringan accordingly rode forward to the Earl's side, and peering curiously into his face, discovered, undoubtedly, the veritable countenance of Jock Thomson, twisted into one of the funniest leers and most roguish grins of which the said countenance was capable.