than myself, might say that as thou wast sent for to confer a blessing, and not a curse, thy palfry was illy chosen. So do not I think."

"But we are at the gate, and though thou comest in such a questionable shape, thou art most welcome. And here comes my Nancy, on hospitable thoughts intent. Let me haste to make her known to friend Belcour."

Friend Belcour would have preferred an introduction to any other person, rather than to Mrs. Roberts; and had she been consulted, (for her escort had considered the emergency of the case to be such, as to render such consultation unnecessary,) I believe she would have less dreaded a summer night in greenwood spent, than an offer of hospitable accommodation at the hands of Basil Roberts and his wife. In the first place, she despised and disliked a Quaker, even more than she did a Methodist; and in the next, she remembered about six months before, the said Basil Roberts and his wife, applying for a night's lodging at Rosemount, on a wet and stormy evening, during a journey they were making, were, after some hesitation to admit them at all, sent to the servants' apartments.

Her husband's promise, that the ladies should be made to feel at home, was kept by Nancy to its utmost extent. A few words were sufficient to make her fully comprehend the circumstances which had thrown them on her hospitality, and she entered at once with the feelings of a sister, on the task of soothing their agitation, and reviving their spirits. Her manner was so cordial, so kind, so unaffectedly pleasing, that even the chagrin and prejudices of Mrs. Belcour were for the moment ~subdued, and she acknowledged she had never seen so VOL. I.

7

sweet an assemblage of all that was endearing, as in Nancy Roberts.

We must now return to the male division of our party. Short greeting seemed to Basil sufficient to prove to his company that he was glad to see them. Indeed, he left them no room to doubt that he was highly delighted, with one of them at least.

"The company assembled at our neighbour's wedding, was not to thy mind, I doubt me, friend Marmaduke," said Basil.

"There was, I am sorry to say," replied Mr. Scott, "much riot, and, as I thought, ill-judged merriment.” "Likely, likely," said Basil: "the hill country round about, does but too certainly furnish many rough customers for a scene of that description. But I hope in thy haste to depart, for that thy retreat was effected under circumstances causing great perturbation of mind, I do partly conjecture, and partly perceive— yet I hope, I say, thou didst not hurry away ere thou hadst received the symbolum, the fee, or rather the honorarium which is customary on such occasions."

"I will tell you plainly, Mr. Roberts," said the minister very gravely, "that I had no sooner performed the ceremony, than I was required"—here the good man blushed as though about to utter a word for which his lips were little calculated

"To kiss the bride," said Basil, laughing.

"It was even so," said the minister. "Albeit, I had made up my mind to submit to a custom so well established, as I was assured by ancient usage; but I was moreover required”

"To go the rounds, hah! was it not, friend Marmaduke?" said Basil. Well, thou couldst not be brought to the charge, and whilst thou stood trembling in doubts

whether to fight, or fly, neighbour Jolly was mustering his forces to storm the defences which thy modesty had set up the female phalanx was about to move forward, the which perceiving, and thy outward man being in imminent danger, thou didst fairly give them the slip, seized on the first article thou sawest-in the shape of a hat-mounted the first four-footed animal thou couldst find, and left the company of sportsmen and sportswomen shouting forth-Broke cover! broke cover!-hah! say I not well, friend Scott, was it not somewhat so?"

"I confess," said the minister, "rem acu tetigisti, you are not far from the truth, in your fanciful narration." "I knew it," said Basil. "This comes of your marriage ceremonies, we order these matters better among our people."

Then attempting to assume a look of solemn gravity, which contrasted illy with his naturally sly, sarcastic cast of countenance, he said, turning to Mr. Scoreum and the young stranger, and as though out of the hearing of the minister; "that one who considers himself called to be a parson, which if I am rightly informed, is but a corruption of persona, that is, the person, because by his person the church is represented-that one who bears that most distinguished appellation ;"-here he whispered so low as only to be heard by the stranger.

"Let me hear," said the minister, good humouredly, "let me hear what induction you make from your learned exposition of the word parson."

"He is himself," continued Roberts, not a little pleased to have an opportunity of showing his learning-" he is in himself a body corporate, to protect and defend the rights of the church, by a perpetual

succession; he is, I grant you, sometimes, called Rector of the church; but parson is the more honourable title, because, as Sir Edward Coke observes; he, and he, only is said vicem seu personam ecclesiæ gerere,' now that this man, or this person-here again his voice sunk to a whisper

"Good master Basil Roberts, of Indian Spring Valley," said Mr. Scott, "deliver yourself in a more audible voice, of those ruminations with which your head appears so to labour."

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Why truly, friend Scott," returned he, "the inside of my head is thrown into so great confusion by the strange appearance of the outside of thine."

Off came the blue beaver, and if the hand of the Rev. Mr. Marmaduke Scott had encountered one of the living ringlets which erst, formed the fanciful head-dress of Miss Medusa, the poor man could not have thrown it from him, with more real abhorrence and affright.

"And have I made this appearance,” cried he in accents of confusion and distress, "before respectable persons, this most preposterous appearance? O! my shameful absence, my unconquerable absence; there is disgrace, there is dishonour in it.”

"There is not only dishonour in it," said Basil, who could not resist, though he began to pity him, "but as Trinculo says, and as the widow Tryagain will say, when she finds thou hast made off with her new gipsy, and left her thy old slouch, there is infinite prejudice and loss in it; yet this is your innocent goblin. I would wager thee a crown, provided Nancy does not overhear me, that she hath slung thy faithful old servant of all weathers into the horse pond, and if thy head had been in it to give it weight and make it sink, she had only been the better pleased."

The poor man was utterly confounded, and said not a word in reply to this sally. "Had he made battle," said Basil afterwards, "it had been another thing; as it was, I am sorry I added to his mortification."

CHAPTER V.

INDIAN SPRING VALLEY.

A pleasing land of drowsy head it was.

Castle of Indolence.

THE spring which gave its name to this beautiful spot, gushed from an aperture in a high rock, and falling, in tunes of musical cadence, from steep to steep, through overhanging boughs of green ivy, threw up a white and sparkling foam from its basin below; from this basin, as it overflowed its brim,

"Unnumber'd glittering streamlets play'd,

And hurled everywhere their waters sheen;
Which as they bicker'd through the sunny glade,

Though restless still themselves, a lulling murmur made.”

Disengaged, at length, from the rocky and obstructed channels, through which they forced their foaming and precipitous course, the waters were concentrated as they reached the broad and level bottom of the valley,. forming a clear, bold, though gentle stream, which rolled its silver winding way through grove and mead, until it disappeared between the intersecting points of

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