lines of a figure which he intended to fill up with the snuff on the wall. Claud, however, cut him short, by proposing, in a whisper, that Miss Betty should be called in, and that she and Walter should be left together, while they took a walk to discuss the merits of the hippopotamus. This was done quickly, and accordingly the young lady made her appearance, entering the room with a blushing giggle, perusing her Titan of a suitor from head to heel with the beam of her eye.

"We'll leave you to yoursel's," said her father jocularly, “and, Watty, be brisk wi' her, lad; she can thole a touzle, I'se warrant."

This exhortation had, however, no immediate effect; for Walter, from the moment she made her appearance, looked awkward and shamefaced, swinging his hat between his legs, with his eyes fixed on the brazen head of the tongs, which were placed upright astradle in front of the grate; but every now and then he peeped at her from the corner of his eye with a queer and luscious glance, which, while it amused, deterred her for some time from addressing him. Diffidence, however, had nothing to do with the character of Miss Betty Bodle, and a feeling of conscious superiority soon overcame the slight embarrassment which arose from the novelty of her situation.

Observing the perplexity of her lover, she suddenly started from her seat, and advancing briskly towards him, touched him on the shoulder, saying

"Watty—I say, Watty, what's your will wi' me ?"

Nothing," was the reply, while he looked up knowingly in her face.

"What are ye fear't for? I ken what ye're come about," said she; " my father has telt me."

At these encouraging words, he leaped from his chair with an alacrity unusual to his character, and attempted to take her in his arms; but she nimbly escaped from his clasp, giving him, at the same time, a smart slap on the cheek.

"That's no fair, Betty Bodle," cried the lover, rubbing his cheek, and looking somewhat offended and afraid.

"Then what gart you meddle wi' me?" replied the bouncing girl, with a laughing bravery that soon re-invigorated his love.

"I'm sure I wasna gaun to do you ony harm,” was the reply Ino, as sure's death, Betty, I would rather cut my finger than do you ony scaith, for I like you so weel-I canna tell you how weel; but, if ye'll tak me, I'll mak you the leddy o' the Plealands in a jiffy, and my mother says that my father will gie me a hundred pound to buy you parapharnauls and new plenishing."

The young lady was probably conciliated by the manner in which this was said; for she approached towards him, and while still affecting to laugh, it was manifest even to Walter himself that she was not displeased by the alacrity with which he had come to the point. Emboldened by her freedom, he took her by the hand, looking, however, away from her, as if he was not aware of what he had done; and in this situation they stood for the space of two or three minutes without speaking. Miss Betty was the first to break silence

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'Weel, Watty,” said she, “what are ye going to say to me?" 'Na,” replied he, becoming almost gallant, "it's your turn to speak noo. I hae spoken my mind, Betty Bodle. Eh! this is a bonny hand; and what a sonsy arm ye hae. I could amaist bite your cheek, Betty Bodle-I could."

"Gude preserve me, Watty! ye're like a wud dog."

"An I were sae, I would worry you,” was his animated answer, while he turned round and devoured her with kisses; a liberty which she instantaneously resented, by vigorously pushing him from her, and driving him down into her father's easy-chairhis arm in the fall rubbing off half a score of the old gentleman's snuffy representatives.

But, notwithstanding this masculine effort of maiden modesty, Miss Betty really rejoiced in the ardent intrepidity of her lover, and said merrily

“I redde you, Watty, keep your distance. Man and wife's man and wife; but I'm only Betty Bodle, and ye're but Watty Walkinshaw."

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'Od, Betty,” replied Watty, not more than half pleased, as he rubbed his right elbow, which was hurt in the fall, "ye're desperate strong, woman; and what were ye the waur o' a bit slaik o' a kiss? Howsever, my bonny dawty, we'll no cast out

for a' that; for if ye'll just marry me, and I'm sure ye'll no get any body than can like you half so weel, I'll do any thing ye bid me; as sure's death I will—there's my hand, Betty Bodle, I will; and I'll buy you the bravest satin gown in a' Glasgow, wi' far bigger flowers on't than on any ane in a' Mrs Bailie Nicol Jarvie's aught; and we'll live in the Plealands House, and do nothing frae dawn to dark but shoo ane another on a swing between the twa trees on the green; and I'll be as kind to you, Betty Bodle, as I can be, and buy you likewise a side-saddle, and a pony to ride on; and when the winter comes, sowing the land wi' hailstones to grow frost and snaw, we'll sit cosily at the chimley-lug, and I'll read you a chapter o' the Bible, or aiblins Patie and Rodger-as sure's death I will, Betty Bodle."

It would seem, indeed, that there is something exalting and inspiring in the tender passion; for the earnest and emphatic manner in which this was said gave a degree of energy to the countenance of Watty that made him appear in the eyes of his sweetheart, to whom moral vigour was not an object of primary admiration, really a clever and effectual fellow.

"I'll be free wi' you, Watty," was her answer; "I dinna objeck to tak you, but". and she hesitated.

"But what?" said Watty, still exalted above his wont. "Ye maunna hurry the wedding ouer soon."

"Ye'll get your ain time, Betty Bodle, I'll promise you that," was his soft answer; "but when a bargain's struck, the sooner payment's made the better; for as the copyline at the school says, 'Delays are dangerous.' So, if ye like, Betty, we can be bookit on Saturday, and cried for the first time on Sabbath, and syne a second time next Lord's day, and the third time on the Sunday after, and marriet on the Tuesday following.”

"I dinna think, Watty," said she, laying her hand on his shoulder, “ that we need sic a fasherie o' crying."

"Then, if ye dinna like it, Betty Bodle, I'm sure neither do I; so we can be cried a' out on ae day, and married on Monday, like my brother and Bell Fatherlans."

What more might have passed, as the lovers had now come to a perfect understanding with each other, it is needless to conjecture, as the return of the old gentlemen interrupted their

conversation; so that, not to consume the precious time of our readers with any unnecessary disquisition, we shall only say, that some objection being stated by Grippy to the first Monday as a day too early for the requisite settlements to be prepared, it was agreed that the booking should take place, as Walter had proposed, on the approaching Saturday, and that the bans should be published, once on the first Sunday, and twice on the next, and that the wedding should be held on the Tuesday following.

CHAPTER XXVII.

WHEN Charles and Isabella were informed that his brother and Betty Bodle were to be bookit on Saturday, that is, their names recorded, for the publication of the bans, in the books of the kirk-session, something like a gleam of light seemed to be thrown on the obscurity which invested the motives of the old man's conduct. They were perfectly aware of Walter's true character, and concluded, as all the world did at the time, that the match was entirely of his father's contrivance; and they expected, when Walter's marriage settlement came to be divulged, that they would then learn what provision had been made for themselves. In the mean time, Charles made out the balance-sheet, as he had been desired, and carried it in his pocket when he went on Saturday, with his wife, to dine at Grippy.

The weather that day was mild for the season, but a thin grey vapour filled the whole air, and saddened every feature of the landscape. The birds sat mute and ourie, and the Clyde, increased by recent upland rains, grumbled with the hoarseness of his wintry voice. The solemnity of external nature awakened a sympathetic melancholy in the minds of the young couple as they walked towards their father's, and Charles once or twice said that he felt a degree of depression which he had never experienced before.

“I wish, Isabella," said he, “that this business of ours were

well settled; for I begin, on your account, to grow anxious. I am not superstitious; but I kenna what's in't-every now and then a thought comes over me that I am no to be a long liver. I feel, as it were, that I havena a firm grip of the world—a sma' shock, I doubt, would easily shake me off.”

"I must own,” replied his wife with softness, "that we have both some reason to regret our rashness. I ought not to have been so weak as to feel the little hardships of my condition so acutely; but, since it is done, we must do our best to bear up against the anxiety that I really think you indulge too much. My advice is, that we should give up speaking about your father's intents, and strive, as well as we can, to make your income, whatever it is, serve us."

"That's kindly said, my dear Bell, but you know that my father's no a man that can be persuaded to feel as we feel; and I would not be surprised were he to break up his partnership with me, and what should we then do ?"

In this sort of anxious and domestic conversation, they approached towards Grippy House, where they were met on the green in front by Margaret and George, who had not seen them since their marriage. Miss Meg, as she was commonly called, being at the time on a visit in Argyleshire with a family to whom their mother was related, the Campbells of Glengrowlmaghallochan, and George was also absent on a shooting excursion with some of his acquaintance at the Plealands, the mansion-house of which happened to be then untenanted. Their reception by their brother and sister, especially by Miss Meg, was kind and sisterly; for although in many points she resembled her mother, she yet possessed much more warmth of heart.

The gratulations and welcomings being over, she gave a description of the preparations which had already commenced for Walter's wedding.

"Na, what would ye think," said she laughing, "my father gied him ten pounds to gang intil Glasgow the day to buy a present for the bride, and ye'll hardly guess what he has sent her-a cradle-a mahogany cradle, shod wi' roynes, that it mayna waken the baby when it's rocking."

"But that wouldna tak all the ten pounds?" said Charles,