dragoon that she ne'er saw till within this month; -and what do you think o' her assurance?—she had the impudence to tell me last night that she but to leave my service immediately, unless I wad buy her husband's discharge—tak' him into my service, and settle an annuity on her for life. -I daursay there ne'er was the like o't!"

"That was certainly very audacious,” said Gertrude" and she ought, at least, to have remained until you had procured another servant."

"Her remain! do ye think I wad left mysell at the discraation o' such a slut as that? I just took her by the shoothers, and gi'ed her the outside o' the door for her answer-Settle an annuity upon her! I've settled her wi' a vengeance— Tak' a dragoon into my service! I wad just as soon tak' the hangman into my service!"

"What a picture of lonely old age!" thought Gertrude "left at the mercy of a mercenary unprincipled servant-destitute even of the necessaries of life-how dismal!"

Even the unfortunate peculiarity of his temper, which kept him aloof from all fellowship with others, she viewed-as, indeed, it was—an additional misfortune, and she felt anxious to alleviate

the wretchedness of his state by every means in her power. But to have insinuated to uncle Adam, that his comfort at all depended either upon a servant or a fire, would have been an insult he would have resented accordingly.

"You must come to Rossville with me, my dear uncle," said the Countess, taking his hand with her sweetest look and accent of entreaty.

"Me gang to Rossville!" exclaimed Mr Ramsay, with a sudden start of horror; "I'll do nae such thing-what wad tak' me to Rossville ?"

"To pay me a visit-to give me the pleasure of seeing you in my own house; you know you must visit me some time; and this is so good an opportunity, that indeed I will not excuse you.”

"I suppose you think I canna contrive to live fower-and-twenty hours by mysell—but you're much mista'en, if you think I depend for my comfort either on man or woman; at ony rate, there's a tyelor and his wife, down bye there, very discreet folk, that wad be ready to do onything I wanted, so you neednae fash your head aboot me."

"I have no doubt, you could have abundance of service," said Lady Rossville, still persisting

in her benevolent intentions-"to say nothing of your own domestics at Bloom-Park-my aunts too-I am sure, if they knew of your situation"

"My situation!" interrupted Mr Ramsay, sharply," What's my situation?—a great situation, to be sure, to hae got rid o' a gude-fornaething impudent thief that wanted to pick my pocket-I'm only thankful I'm quit o' her—and that's what you ca' my situation-what else could you say if I was lyin' wi' my throat cut ?"

"I beg your pardon-but you must make allowance for my blunders-you know my tongue is not so Scotch as my heart-and that is another reason why you must come to Rossville to give me some lessons in my dear native accents-I must now learn to speak Scotch to my poor people." And Gertrude hung coaxingly round him, till even uncle Adam's flinty nature began to melt.

"What wad ye mak o' me at your braw Castell, amang aw your fine folk?-I'm no used to your grandees, and I'm no gawn to begin to learn fashionable mainners noo-so dinna ask me

I'm no gawn to mak a fule o' mysell at this time o' day."

“I assure you, we have no fine people at Rossville, my dear uncle-not one; and, indeed, I do not like what are called fine people any more than you do. We are a very plain, quiet, old-fashioned family-quite clock-work in our ways and hours; and besides, if you don't like them or us, you shall take your own way in everything-you shall breakfast, dine, sup, if you please, in your own apartment, and be quite at home,—now don't pray, don't refuse me."

"An' be made a sang o' to aw the hooss, high and low? I suppose it'll be through the toon next, that I couldnae mak a shift for a day, without that impudent thief, Chirsty Carstairs.-No, no, I'm no gawn to be dragooned out o' my ain hooss by her."

Gertrude was certainly not a persevering character; and, despairing of success, she had risen to depart, when her heart smote her at the thoughts of abandoning the desolate old man to his cheerless solitary state-at his advanced age, and in such inclement weather, to be left in a house alone!-the idea was frightful. Again she

returned to the charge, and at length she prevailed; for she held out an inducement uncle Adam was not proof against. She told him of the picture he would see at Rossville of her he had so truly loved, and the right string was touched. A silken thread might have led uncle Adam over half the globe when Lizzie Lundie was paramount. His little preparations were soon made; the tailor's wife was summoned, and invested with the charge of the mansion; and Mr Ramsay, covered with shame and confusion at his own folly in being thus led by a child, sneaked into the carriage with his head on his breast, and his ears hanging down to his shoulders. Lady Rossville tried to animate him, but he still retained his humbled discomfited air, till the carriage stopped at the Castle gate, when the old man burst forth

"I've a gude mind just to gang back the way I cam-auld idiot that I am, to be rinnin' after pickters like a bairn !"

But it was now too late-the movements of the great are commonly conducted with a celerity that baffles all calculation; and uncle Adam was scarcely aware that he had reached his destination, ere he found himself in the hall surrounded by a