thering in that eye where moisture had been a stranger for a score of years. He sat silent in a corner of the room, forbearing to interrupt the sad but tender scene before him, with a delicacy which would have done honour to many a man more refined, and more elegantly polished.

Sydenham, in the hope that mental exertion might rouse the spirits of his wife, took the first opportunity afforded him by the abatement of her grief, to enquire what course her mother intended to pursue in future.

"May she not withdraw from this country to the continent?" said the Colonel.

Esther shook her head and replied in a solemn and sad tone, "My mother, Sydenham, will never remove hence, but to follow my father to the grave. Her spirits, her health, decline apace; and I shall soon, I fear, be without support or protection in the world."

"Without support or protection !" cried the Colonel, "Am not I thy husband, Esther? Say, you but wish it, and though my name in arms perish by my absence, I swear I will not quit thee."

"Forgive me, Charles," answered his wife; "grief has hitherto been a stranger to me, and his presence has well nigh disturbed my recollection. But my mother may not quit Edinburgh, if she were able to travel. This house, which my blessed father purchased on his arrival in Scotland, is all that is left us of our former fortunes. It is true my uncle hath hitherto liberally supplied us with money; but were we to quit the kingdom, he would doubtless recal his munificence."

"But are you safe?" said Sydenham. "I hear Lord Caryfort hath busily annoyed you; and Snell, the bitter foe of our house, is governor of the city."

"Fear not either," replied Esther: "whilst my uncle the President lives, we are safe, I trust, from personal insult. Besides, Lord Caryfort cannot decently intrude upon us in our mourning, and he in

tends shortly to travel southward. Snell knoweth us not, unless his Lordship may have told him of our family; but what purpose his information could serve, it is impossible to guess at."

"When twa sic loons pit their aivers thegither," said Armstrong, "weel ye may wot they're o' uae guid, an' I wadna be sae muckle amazit gin the laird were to buy his ain by reekin' after ithers; weel wull it be, gin the fause gled dinna look afraid, an' snap us baith at ae mouthfu'. Mony thanks, an' mair than thanks' wad he get frae that rebel Snell for our caption."

This declaration could not fail to alarm Lady Sydenham, who now became as anxious that her lord and his friend should quit the town, as she before seemed desirous of retarding his journey.

"You must part to-night," said she wildly. "I may see my father and my mother fall before my eyes, and myself destitute of comfort; but if you are cut off,-gracious Providence forbid! what hope, what tie, what solace is there left me upon earth! Fly, Sydenham; leave this fatal city. It hath swallowed one dear object, and I see it gaping for another."

"Calm thyself, Esther," replied her husband; "our danger is not imminent, and we cannot repass the gates before morning. No one but Macrandy knoweth of our coming, and he is as true as my steel morion. We will abide here until day-break: we must then, love, quit thee, and join our Sovereign."

"Will you see my mother?" said Lady Sydenham. "She knows our secret."

"Our marriage?" cried the Colonel.

"Even so," answered his wife. My heart smote me with the deceit we had practised, and in her bosom I confessed it."

"What said she?" enquired Sydenham, anxiously.

"Instead of upbraiding me with insincerity," replied Esther, "she extolled my penitent avowal: her heart was then fraught with favour to Cary fort, and

both my parents had destined me for his wife; but his veil of hypocrisy was rent in twain by the coming of the enemy, and my father soon discerned the falsehood of his former professions. My mother told him of our marriage, and he died with blessings on his lips for our present and our eternal happiness."

Sydenham was deeply moved by this elucidation but his pleasure equalled the interest with which he was affected, on being now certain that his wife was relieved from a load of anxiety which must of necessity have been the consequence of preserving so tender a secret between relatives so near. Indeed it was more than doubtful whether the marriage might have been preserved secret at all, for the situation of Lady Sydenham partée appropinquatione longè proLish! grosse, ut aunt mediet) would have rendered the matter nice and difficult.

Mrs.

The Colonel consented to pay his respects to Mrs. Bradshaw, and left the room with his wife, who ordered refreshments for the Borderer. We shall not presume to enter the chamber of death; but we shall patiently await the return of the Colonel and his wife with Armstrong below stairs. The table was speedily furnished, and the Cavalier, who was particularly sensible of the old saying, "grief is dry," tried, with some success, to moisten his sorrow "with potations half bottle deep." It is certain he ate and drank with wonderful avidity; and it is the less to be wondered at, when we consider he had ridden several hours at a hard rate, and in a night sufficiently raw to give an edge to his appetite. When he had made an end of this kind of discussion, he wrapped himself in his cloak, and disposing himself easily in a high-backed soft-cushioned elbow chair, he betook himself to rest. We have elsewhere remarked, that the nose of Armstrong gave forth, when he was asleep, a most sonorous annunciation of his repose, and at present that organ sonitu taratantara dixit so loudly, that one of the servants, supposing he had called, entered the room. "Did ye ca', Sir ?" said

the man; but the only reply he received was a superpotential snore, which made the room ring to the echo.

"Ye're at rest, my bonnie chiel," said the servant; and he was preparing to quit the room, when the hand of Armstrong, which had supported and concealed his head, fell down and discovered to the man the Borderer's face.

"Ah, ah! Mayster Armstrong! is that yer ainsel," muttered the fellow to himself, disguisit like the wolf i' sheep's claethin'? Ye've gain'd the cover, my auld fox, but ye'll no win yer gate out as easily as ye got in; an' t'ither chiel is doubtless yer friend Colonel Sydenham. Ho, ho! my Lord'll be fain to hear o' this. Wait ye, my bonnie trooper, I'll be back amaist afore ye can draw out yer snore."

He then withdrew, without interrupting the slumbers of the Borderer. This fellow had, at the instigation of Lord Caryfort, found his way into the family of Mr. Bradshaw, upon which he acted as a spy for his Lordship, who suspected, though he did not himself meet with the Cavaliers, that they were in the habit of frequenting the house. However, this was the first time they had been there since the engagement of this traitor; and in the hope of reaping an adequate reward, he posted away to the peer's with the news of their arrival. Murray, unfortunately for his own designs, and the expected gratification of his underling, was engaged at Holyrood upon business of importance with the Governor. The servant waited at least an hour, debating within himself whether he should still continue to tarry for the return of his Lordship; but at length, considering that the capture of the Cavaliers would be a matter as gratifying to the Governor as to Caryfort himself, he quitted the peer's lodgings, and made all haste to the ancient palace of the Scotish kings, where the insolent Snell had taken up his abode.

In the mean time, Sydenham and his wife returned to the parlour, and awoke the Borderer.

"Rise, Armstrong, and buckle up, man," said the Colonel; our hour is come."

self,

Aweel, replied the Marchman, stretching him-
I'm amaist ready."

He poured out a horn of champagne, and raising it to his lips, said, "Here's a sodger's blessin' till ye baith may ye live for happier times; may ye live to enjoy each ither."

Esther held out her hand, which the Borderer kissed. He then drank off his potation, and said, “ Gin ye wad favour me, my bonnie leddy, wi' ae ribbon for my basnet, I swear till ye, it shall fly there while I can haud sword till ae foe's breast; an' gin I see ye ance mair, ye shall hae it, allowing for wind an' weather, as guid as ye gae it me."

Lady Sydenham had round her neck a scarf or kerchief of green Padua silk, which she took off and delivered to the Borderer, who carefully wrapped it up and placed it in the lining of his cloak. Sydenham then desired him to walk forward to Macrandy's, and he would follow. Armstrong drew on his cloak, and bidding Lady Sydenham farewel, departed.

The lovers (for, although married, we trust we may still call them so) stood for some time gazing at each other, as if unable to break that friendly silence which intervened before they were to say farewel. Parting hath ever been, between common friends, a solemn subject; what must it have been in this case, when the two persons on earth most tenderly attached to each other, parted, with the probable chance that when they met again it would be in heaven? A young wife, seven or eight months married to a husband, the god of her idolatry, who, absent from her the whole time, came but to take his farewel on marching to battle, perhaps to death-a husband fond of his bride to an almost unreasonable excess, obliged to leave her, while her father lay dead before her eyes, unsolaced, unsupported, and almost unprotected. The picture is almost too heavy for human fortitude; and the courage with which this parting scene was