dinna deserve what it has gi'en me. I'm thinking, Geordie, Providence kens my deserts muckle better than you."

Leddy Grippy, who, during this conversation, was sitting at the table in all the pomp of her new widow's weeds, with the big Bible before her, in which she was trying to read that edifying chapter, the tenth of Nehemiah, here interposed

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'Wheesht, wheesht, Watty, and dinna blaspheme," said she; "and no be overly condumacious. Ye ken your father was a good man, and nothing but the dart o' death prevented him frae making a handsome provision for a' his family, forbye you; and no doubt, when ye hae gotten the better o' the sore stroke o' the sudden removal of the golden candlestick o' his life from among us, ye'll do every thing in a rational and just manner."

"'Deed I'll do nae sic things, mother," was the reply; "I'm mindit to haud the grip I hae gotten."

"But ye're a Christian, Watty,” resumed the Leddy, still preserving her well put on mourning equanimity; "and it behoves you to refleck, that a' in your power is gi'en to you but as a steward."

"Ye needna tell me that. But wha's steward am I? Isna the matter a trust for my bairn? I'm wee Betty Bodle's steward, and no man shall upbraid me wi' being unfaithfu',” replied Walter.

Ay, ay, Watty, that's very true in a sense," said she; whosoever giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord."

"but

"That's what I canna comprehend; for the Lord has no need to borrow. He can mak' a world o' gold for the poor folk if he likes; and if he keeps them in poortith, he has his ain reasons for't."

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Ah, weel I wat!" exclaimed the leddy pathetically; noo I fin' to my cost that my cousin, Ringan Gilhaise, the Mauchlin maltster, had the rights o't when he plea't my father's will, on account of thy concos montis; and, but for auld pawky Keelevin, he would hae gotten the property that's sae ill wair't on thee."

All this, however, made no impression; but George, in walking back to Glasgow, several times thought of what had fallen from his mother respecting the attempt which had been made to

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set aside her father's settlement, on the score of Walter's idiocy; and once or twice it occurred to him that the thing was still not impracticable, and that, being next heir of entail, and nearest male relative, it might be of advantage to his own family to get the management of the estate. Thus, by a conversation intended to benefit the disinherited heirs, the seed was sown of new plans and proceedings worthy of the father's son. From that period, George took no further interest in the affairs of his sister-in-law; but his visits became unusually frequent to Grippy, and he was generally always attended by some friend, whom he led into conversation with his brother, calculated to call forth the least equivocal disclosures of the state of Walter's mind.

But whatever were his motives for these visits, and this kind of conduct, he kept them close within his own breast. No one suspected him of any sinister design, but many applauded his filial attentions to his mother-for so his visits were construedand they were deemed the more meritorious on account of the state of his own family, his wife, after the birth of her twin daughters, having fallen into ill health. Indeed, he was in general contemplated with sentiments of compassion and respect. Every body had heard of his anxiety, on the death of his father, to procure some provision for his deceased brother's family, and sympathized with the regret which he expressed at finding Walter so niggardly and intractable, for not a word was breathed of his incapacity. The increased thoughtfulness and reserve of his manner, which began, we may say, from the conversation quoted, was in consequence attributed to the effect of his comfortless domestic situation; and the public sympathy was considerably augmented, when, in the course of the same year in which his father died, he happened to lose one of his daughters. There were, however, among his friends, as there are always about most men, certain shrewd and invidious characters, and some among them did not give him credit for so much sensibility as their mutual acquaintance in common parlance ascribed to him. On the contrary, they openly condemned his indelicacy in so often exposing the fooleries of his brother; and those who had detected the well-hidden sordid meanness of his disposition, wondered that he had so quietly acquiesced in Walter's succes

sion. But they had either forgotten, or had never heard of, the circumstance to which his mother alluded with respect to her relation, the Mauchlin maltster's attempt to invalidate her father's will, and, of course, were not aware of the address requisite to prove the incapacity of a man whose situation had been already investigated, and who, by a solemn adjudication, was declared in the full possession of all his faculties. Their wonderment was not, however, allowed to continue long; for an event which took place within a little more than three months after the death of his daughter, ended all debates and controversies on the subject.

CHAPTER XLIX.

DEATH, it is said, rarely enters a house without making himself familiar to the inmates. Walter's daughter, a premature child, had from her birth been always infirm and delicate. In the course of the spring after her grandfather's death, she evidently grew worse, and towards the end of summer it was the opinion of all who saw her that she could not live long. The tenderness and solicitude of her father knew no bounds. She was, indeed, the sole object that interested him in life; he doated over her with the most single and entire affection; and when she died, he would not believe, nor allow himself to think, she had expired, but sat by the bedside, preserving silence, and preventing her from being touched, lest it should awaken her from a slumber which he fondly imagined was to establish her recovery. No inducement could be contrived to draw him from his vigilant watch, nor by any persuasion could permission be obtained to dress her corpse. George, in the meanwhile, called several times at the house, and took occasion, in going there one day, to ask the Reverend Doctor Denholm to accompany him, under the pretext that perhaps he might prevail with Walter to allow the body to be removed, as it was beginning to grow offensive. But, when they reached the house, Walter was missing—he had suddenly and unobserved quitted the room where the corpse lay,

and his mother, availing herself of his absence, was busily preparing for the interment.

They waited some time in expectation of his return, believing he had only walked into the fields, in consequence of the air of the chamber having become intolerable; but after conversing upwards of an hour on general topics, some anxiety began to be expressed for his appearance, and his mother grew so alarmed, that servants were dispatched in all directions in quest of him. They had not, however, proceeded far, when he was met on the Glasgow road, coming with his niece Mary in his arms, followed by Leddy Plealands' maid-servant, loudly remonstrating with him for carrying off the child, and every now and then making an attempt to snatch it from his arms.

"What hae ye been about?" cried his mother, as she saw him approaching towards the house. He, however, made no answer; but, carrying the child into the nursery, he immediately stripped it naked, and dressed her in the clothes of his own daughter, caressing and pleasing her with a thousand fond assurancescalling her his third Betty Bodle, and betraying all the artless delight and satisfaction with which a child regards a new toy.

Dr Denholm happening to be among those who wondered that his brother had permitted him to succeed his father unmolested, and on seeing this indisputable proof of idiocy according to the notions of society, said—

“I canna refrain, Mr George, from telling you, that I think its no right to alloo such a fine property as your father left, to be exposed to wastrie and ruination in the possession of such a haverel. It's neither doing justice to the world nor to your ain family; and I redde you look about you-for wha kens what he may do next?"

Such an admonition, the involuntary incitement of the moment, was not lost. George had, in fact, been long fishing for something of the kind; but nothing had occurred to provoke so explicit an opinion of Walter's obvious incapacity. He, however, replied cautiously—

"Some allowance, doctor, must be made for the consternation of his sorrow; and ye should know that it's a kittle point of law to determine when a man has or has not his sufficient senses."

"Deed, Dr Denholm," added Lady Grippy, who happened to be present-"what ye say is very true; for I can ne'er abide to think that Watty's as he ought to be, since he refused to make good his honest father's kind intents to the rest o' the family. Here am I toiling and moiling frae morning to night for his advantage; and would ye believe me, doctor, when I tell you, that he'll no alloo a black bawbee for any needful outlay? and I'm obligated to tak frae my ain jointure-money to pay the cost o' every thing the house stands in need of."

"Not possible!" said George, with every indication of the sincerest astonishment.

"Whether it's possible, or whether it's probable, I ken best mysel'," replied the leddy;—" and this I ken likewise, that what I say is the evendown truth; and nae farther gain than Mononday was eight days, I paid Deacon Paul, the Glasgow mason, thirteen shillings, a groat, and a bawbee, for the count o' his sklater that pointed the skews o' the house at Martinmas; and though I would supplicate, an it were on my knees, like Queen Esther, the dure Ahasuerus, that he is, has no mercy. Indeed, I'll be nane surprised gin he leaves me to pay a' the charge o' his bairn's burial, which will be a black shame if he does."

"This must not be endured," said George gravely; "and I am surprised, mother, ye never spoke of such treatment before. I cannot sit patient and hear that ye're used in such a cruel and unnatural manner."

"It would be a blot on your character, Mr George" rejoined the minister, "if ye did. Your brother has been from his youth upward an evident idiot; and ever since the death of his wife, ony little wit he had has been daily growing less."

"What ye say, doctor," resumed the leddy, "is no to be controverted; for, poor lad, he certainly fell intil a sore melancholic at that time; and it's my conceit he has ne'er rightly got the better o't; for he was-hegh, sirs!-he was till that time the kindest o' a' my bairns; but, frae the day and hour that his wife took her departel in childbed, he has been a changed creature. Ye'll mind how outstrapolous and constipated he was at her burial; and it's wi' a heavy heart that I maun say't, when his kind father, soon after, wanted to mak' a will and testament to