on Mrs. Johnson for assistance, who only answered him like one speaking through her sleep. At length he perceived that both his mistress and himself were involved in a torrent of blood. Her arm, which still continued bound, had burst out a-bleeding, and bled most copiously. In this state was he sitting when the doctor returned, supporting the lady in his arms, and literally covered over with her blood, while she struggled hard with him, manifesting great agony in her return to sensibility. The surgeon then loosened her arm, stemmed the bleeding, and roused up the nurse, telling her all was well, and forcing her over the bed. By this time Mrs. M-Grinder had come in, bringing with her an armful of the most beautiful sheets, pillowslips, cushions, and counterpanes imaginable.-With what ghastly and forlorn looks she fixed her eyes on the bed. when she saw the lady again living, and looking wildly from the one side to the other! The lucrative funeral expenses had all vanished from her grasp at once, and she was not able to repress her chagrin, which was manifested both in her looks and words. Her first exclamation was, (alluding to the blood on the bed,) "Oh wow, sirs, my good featherbed! I declare it is utterly wasted; and cost me good ten pounds. My fine counterpane, hangings, sheets, and altogether--Who ever saw the like of that ???

"Hist, hist," said the surgeon, "no word of those things just now, if you please."

Her tongue was fairly hushed. That surgeon's word was to her a law, for a reason she well knew, and so did he. He then turned to M·lon, and asked him with great civility if he was the young lady's brother? He answered in the negative, with looks that betrayed abashment; but the other added, "Because it is necessary that she be undressed, and the bed-clothes shifted; besides, look at yourself, such a sight would be enough to make a young lady swoon who was well enough before. That is all, sir; you have only done what it behooved every acquaintance to have done in such an emergency."

M'Ion went to his own room, and dressed himself,

but waited in vain for word to return. Growing impatient, he went down and tapped at the door, and was admitted by Cherry at once, who opened it, and only to all his inquiries continued repeating, "Come in, come in." He entered accordingly, and found the two matrons in attendance, the doctor having retired. Gatty was still extremely uneasy and unsettled, repeating the name of M'Ion frequently with great vehemence, and in apparent agitation. Mrs. Johnson felt the utmost anxiety on this account, fearing she would both commit herself, and insult the young gentleman whom they all valued so highly, and whose late dismissal they so deeply regretted. The sight of him, even in that half insensate state, had turned Gatty's wandering thoughts to the theme, for she began talking of him with more vehemence than before; and, perhaps, alluding to the things told him by her cousin that affected her so deeply at first, she said vehemently, "Who was it that told M'Ion? Was it you? or you? It is your pride to expose me to those who come only to see the nakedness of the land- 99

"Sir," said Mrs. Johnson," it appears that your presence agitates her too much; let me beg of you to withdraw." He did so, muttering to himself as he went, "This marked antipathy, amounting, it would seem, almost to hatred, is certainly very extraordinary. Nay, it is more; it is both unnatural and ungenerous. Wayward and ungrateful Agatha ! It shall be a while ere my presence torment you again."

Alas! little knew he the hidden sentiments or the value of the heart he was breaking. But he deemed that she was inquiring, in high displeasure, who told him to come into her presence.

Gatty soon recovered, but continued in a low and languid state all that afternoon and the following night. No one present with her knew that M'lon's embraces had restored her to life; but they told her that he had attended during her alarming fit, manifesting great sorrow and agitation. When she heard that, all his former neglect vanished, and all the supposed and dreaded injuries that he had committed in boasting of her affec

tions sunk away, and were disbelieved as some unmeaning slander. She had forgiven all in her heart, and longed more to see his face, hear him speak, and say some words of kindness and reconciliation to him, than for all things she had ever desired in her life ; and, expecting him to call and ask for her, she arose and dressed herself next day, and came into the parlour, that he might have no excuse for not seeing her. She even took more pains in dressing herself that morning than she had ever done before; and though habited like a sick person, it became her most charmingly. Mrs. M'Grinder was the first to observe it. After asking her how she did about noon, she added, "There's nae doubt, Miss Bell, but death will make angels o' some o' us, if no of us a'; at least the ministers garus trow sae, and it's no our right to refute it. But be mae trouth, death has made an angel o' you already. I never saw you look half so beautiful. You are just like a new creature. Like something newly cast off the fashioning irons for a pattern.-Na, but look at her, ladies, gin I be speaking beside the truth or no."

Mrs. Johnson and Cherry both acquiesced in the dame's certification, that Miss Bell looked charming; and the consciousness of beauty lent that never-failing charm, that improves it more than all the borrowed roses and ornaments that the world produces. What a pity that M'Ion would not come in while that lovely bloom continued! It is little that most men know either what is said or what is thought of them, and it is sometimes a mercy that it is so. But O, what a grievous circumstance it was that one should be sitting fretting and pining in one room, from an idea that he is forbid admission into the one next him; and that another dear object should be sitting in this latter, like a transplanted flower blighted in the bud, fretting, and pining even worse because he will not enter. One would have thought that an ecclaircissement might easily have been brought about in such a case; butit seems that etiquette had withstood that, for it was never effected.

CIRCLE THIRD.

THAT very evening, who should arrive with the Pringleton coach, but our good friend Daniel Bell, and with him his nephew-in-law, that is, his wife's brother's son, Richard Rickleton, Esq. of Burlhope, and farmer of seventeen thousand acres of land, on the two sides of the Border. He was a real clodpole-a moss-jumper-a man of bones, thews, and sinews, with no more mind or ingenuity than an owl; men nicknamed him the heather-blooter, from his odd way of laughing, for that laugh could have been heard for five miles all around, on a calm evening, by the Border fells,--and, for brevity's sake, it was often contracted into the blooter. But, with all these oddities, Richard Rickleton was as rich as Croesus; at least he was richer, by his own account, than Simon Dodd of Ramshope, and that seemed to be the ultimatum of his ambition.

The cause of Richard's coming to Edinburgh was no other than to commence an acquaintance and courtship with his cousin, Miss Bell, and that at the suggestion of both her parents. From the tenor of their daughter's letters, they both agreed that something more than ordinary was the matter with her; and, though none of them ventured to pronounce what that something was, they also agreed that the sooner they could get a husband for her the better, for they both suspected, what they dreaded to say, that there was some love disappointment in the case. They were also aware, that a disappointed maiden is seldom hard to please in her next choice; so they concluded that they might easily bring about a marriage with her cousin Dick, which would prove what is termed a good bein down-sitting. At all events, Mrs.

Bell had often hinted at such a project long before, but Daniel always putting it off the best way be could. Finding now, however, that there was like to be no hope of his darling M'Ion, he yielded to his wife's project. Dickie was delighted beyond all bounds with the proposal, and many a bog-shaking laugh it afforded him, both before he set out, and by the way." Sutor me, uncle," said he, "if I has nae forgotten what the wonch is like! But I hopes that she stands gay and tight on her shank-beams, and has a right weel-plenished face-Hoo-hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo-hoo! I's gang wi' thee, and see what she's like; and, wod, if I likes her, I's gie her a fair bode. O how I wod like to suter Simey Dodd!-Rabbet him for a massy chit!—He wad gar fo'ks trow that naebody has siller but the sel o' him-Hoo-hoo-hoo!-can do ony thing but he

-Hoo-hoo-hoo!"

Well, to Edinburgh comes our new wooer, escorted by no less a man than the father of his intended sweetheart. She was sitting on the sofa, casting many a wistful look towards the door, when, all of a sudden, she heard a noise, as if horses had been coming up the stair, and the next moment, her father and Richard Rickleton, Esq. stood before her. He was of a Herculean make, with red hair, immense whiskers of the same colour, his face all over freckled, and mostly overgrown with thin hairs, of the colour of new mahogany. He neither bowed, nor beckoned, nor opened his lips, but came striding in, rubbing his hands, and making for the fire-place.

"Gatty, my dear bairn, what has been the matter with you?" said Daniel, on entering," have you been ill ?"

Gatty was so overcome at the sight of her father, and so perplexed about the cause of his coming, that she could not answer him, farther than hy giving tim her hand, which was moist and warm. Mrs. Johnson answered for her, and told him that she had been a little indisposed the foregoing evening, but was quite recovered.