your conversation and spirits have saved the rest of the passengers."

"Lisbon! I hate it!" said she; "and if it was not for the hope that there may be some new regiments there, with some officers belonging to them who cananswer when they are spoken to, I think I should have been tempted to disappoint Alick, and let him go with

out me."

"That would have been vera cruel," said major Macleod.

"I know it would," replied she, "for Alick has a good deal of soul, and a fine imagination, and I am sure, if they were obliged to lie dormant (which would surely be the case if he had no companion but those creatures, who do nothing more than vegetate), he would fall into a melancholy."

"It is very kind of you to overcome your repugnance to return to Portugal on his account," said I.

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Certainly," returned she; "but we do

expect to make a little amusement for ourselves; for though we shall have very, very few to talk to or laugh with, yet we shall have a sufficient number to talk of and to laugh at.".

"There are na twa in the regiment," said major Macleod, "who laugh sae much as you and your brother the lieutenant; I am fu' sure you mack mickle sport to yoursels, wi' aw your jeers and remarks on ither folk."

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Well," said she, "for all that, Mr. St. Lawrence, I'm quite wretched at the idea of being condemned to be on any kind of terms with a set of troublesome, stupid women. I wish I could hit upon some way of breaking with them all."

"That would be too severe a punishment, even for stupidity and tiresomeness," said I.

"Not at all," interrupted she, "for they all hate both my brother and me." "The celebrated Dr. Doddridge had a child,” said I, "who was a universal favourite

favourite with all who frequented her father's house. Some one asked her, how it happened that every body loved her? to which she made the sweet replyThat she supposed it was because she loved every body."

"I may apply that," said she. "Well, I do plead guilty to feeling for them all a degree of contempt and dislike proportioned to each of their talents for calling forth such sentiments."

"Miss Dawnby has gote a nickname for amaist the hale of the regiment," said the major.

"You cannot accuse me of having given you one at least," said she.

"For which I mack you my vera best boo," returned he, as he left us to join the general, who was now upon deck.

Miss Danby burst into a loud laugh"Go, go, my good humdrum major," said she, "for that is his name; for you must know we reckon him a deadly bore. My brother says he always puts him in mind

of

of something carved in wood, and hung together in a very awkward manner; and that if you just pulled out the pegs, which are placed so clumsily at the joints, his legs and arms, of which he seems to have twice as many as his share, would all drop about him, while he would look on with an unmoved countenance."

"I never should have supposed," said I, "that you laughed so at the poor major."

"I assure you," said she," I have the highest respect for him; he is a worthy creature, and though excessively ridiculous, not a bit more so than every one you see. What I like in him is, that he is always in his place-never above or below his situation, let it be what it may; and to this, I am sure, is chiefly owing his good fortune in having been raised from the ranks; his conduct was such as to give offence to no one, and his duty was always done so as to please every body."

I expressed

I expressed my surprise at hearing that he had risen from the ranks.

*

"This is what makes me lean lighter on him than on the rest," said she; " and I really do feel respect for him, as I know very well that it could have been nothing in the world but his own merit which brought him forward, when so many get on because they have cunning, or interest, or money, or impudence. I am sure you have liberality enough to like him just as well, if not better, than you did before you knew this circumstance."

"I agree perfectly with you," said I, "that it is very much to his credit. I should never have guessed, from his style of conversation, that he had been in an inferior rank of life. I have heard him speak, even on literary subjects, and (independently of his accent and pronunciation) always with propriety."

"The Scotch are a rational people," said she," and never speak without understanding