tional and well-placed entreaty, aided perhaps by circumstances over which he had no control. He was firmly persuaded, that any attempt to move him at present would not only be fruitless, but would rather have the effect of fortifying him in the strong determination he appeared to have taken. For these reasons, he finally resolved to accept of Mr Macgillivray's invitation, and after consulting with Cleaver, he took an immediate opportunity of communicating to the Highland laird his compliance with his kind wishes.

Macgillivray received it with much apparent joy. The arrangements for the journey were soon made. A servant was immediately dispatched to one of Sir Alisander's tenants, to procure two stout horses for Amherst. ⠀⠀

O'Gollochar received his master's orders to pack up with manifest dismay. With a doleful visage, and still more doleful voice, he ventured to ask, whether his honour was going to travel? and on being informed as to the fact, he began blubbering of parral end to consiliada "What, in the name of wonder, is the meaning of all this, Cornelius?" said his master.

Och and does your honour think it nothing,

now, to lave Aiglesholme Castle and all its pretty woods, its nate drawbridge, and iligant towers?"

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"I did not indeed expect that you would have expressed regret, at leaving a place, where not very long ago I had so much difficulty in persuading you to remain,ʊd buc yepped & of etuke 990' "Aye, in troth, your honour," replied he; " but sure enough now, that was before your honour laid all them ghosts and goblins that bothered me so o' nights. od o

【ན་ན

"I understand you now," said Amherst; " I laid one set of ghosts, the cause of your terror, and you chose, immediately afterwards, to raise a fair, or rather, perhaps, I should have said a dark spirit for your own amusement."

"Why, troth, and sure enough, your honour has hit it there!-She is dark to be sure. But though she be an outlandish Frenchwoman, I'll be bound she is as warm-hearted as if she had been born in the couldest bog in all Ireland."

Here the poor fellow had recourse to the scrap of a red handkerchief he held in his hand, to wipe away a tear that was about to fall. Amherst, though so much in want of comfort himself, did not feel the less for his faithful follower, whom he

immediately endeavoured to sooth and comfort, by assuring him, that he did not anticipate that his present expedition would be of very long duration, and that, at all events, he should take care to secure him plenty of opportunity to bring his love affairs to a happy and honourable issue, before he should bid adieu to Scotland. 16

O'Gollochar's mind was apparently much relieved by these assurances on the part of his master. But still he did not seem to be quite satisfied.

"Och, then, dear master!" said he, "sure I thought your honour would have maybe had some small matter o' business, to settle over yonder yeresilf, afore you could think of laiving the castle in this soort o' fashion. All the Mounseers and Seignours, not forgetting Mr Robertson, who, for a matter o' that, is neither one nor the other, were so fond o' your honour, and so plaised wid yere civil ways, and your spaking to them each in his own lingo, that seeing all things going on so swimmingly in the parlour, made every soul of us merry in the hall, all with the hopes of the ould castle being spunked up wid a merry wedding,” no i Amherst was so suddenly taken by these simple

observations of his servants that it was with diffi culty he could restrain the feelings excited by them. Dode bas qornas zni bid were to ɖow &

Next morning, Sir Alisander's tenant, Master Colley, was in waiting with two stout active littled grey horses, fitted with tolerably good furniture The price he demanded for them seemed to be per fectly reasonable As he received it with his broad blue bonnet in his hand, he did not fail to season his thanks with many remarks upon the re spective qualities of the "twa naigs." Brisk, as being the lighter and more spirited of the two, he recommended to Amherst for his own riding." Whilst Braidbottom's corporeal qualifications rendered him admirably adapted for a baggage horse.

"Tak my word for't, Sir, the waulees wull cling to his hinder-end just as gin they had grown there, an fient a flea will he care for the weight of them an' the man, mair than gif they were as muckle strae."

Master Colley's advice was too good to be despised, and the arrangements were made accordingly. Macgillivray's horse was mouse-coloured, and something of the same description as those Amherst had just purchased. For him no mounted

3

lacquey attended, but a ragged, kilted, bare-leg ged, and bare-footed loon, with a bush of hair like wisp of straw, held his stirrup, and shouldering a long peeled rung, he ran off before them with bent knees, employing his toes in a sort of limping trot, in which, though like a fox, he appeared to creeph over, the surface, he, in reality, went extremely fast and with comparatively little exertion, occasionally applying the end of his rung, like a third leg, to the ground, dates, rom

After mounting, Amherst bid Cleaver a hearty adieu. Then, accoutred in a sportsman's dress, girt with a handsome Spanish rapier, the gift of Lord Eaglesholme, when he first became his guest, and with his pistols at his saddle-bow, he rode on after Macgillivray. O'Gollochar followed upon Braidbottom, similarly armed, carrying a portmanteau behind, and bearing his master's rifle over his left shoulder.

Amherst jogged on with Macgillivray, listening to him rather than taking any weighty share of the conversation. Their way lay across a flat country of considerable extent, where cultivation was carried to as high a degree of perfection as was then known. The farm-houses and cottages were very