and a recapitulation of the sorrows and misfortunes he endured through a long life. I cannot say at all I like tales of real woe. In fiction, let it be ever so highly wrought, our knowledge that it is fiction takes away greatly from any painful feeling; and it is seldom that we are more than interested in the best-told tale. By the way," he added, "I have somewhere a little ghost story,' given me by this very old philosopher; it interested me, I remember, at the time, and may amuse you. I will look for it some day." . The whole party declared that there was no time like the present. It was a vacant evening; lady Anne was engaged with her netting, Mary with her work, and Charles was amusing his idleness with sketching a group of the whole circle. "If you would read it aloud to us, Frederic," said his sister, "that would be a favour indeed; and I will promise you to be as frightened and interested as you could possibly expect or desire." "With all my heart," replied lord Burton, “if I can find it; but you need not be frightened unless you like, for I have no intention whatever of making you all turn your heads over your shoulders, every five minutes, to see if there is an apparition behind your chairs.” The tale was not long in being found, and lord Burton proceeded to read it. Lord Burton was one of those men, on whose lips even trifles became forcible. It was not alone that he read well, but he read feelingly; and in many parts where, perhaps, had she read it to herself, Mary would hardly have been interested, she laid down her work to listen, and be came entirely engrossed in the story with which he thus proceeded. CHAP CHAPTER III. A thousand ills the traitor's mind infest, The Life of Sir William Wallace. The Wizard's Cave. It matters not in what age, or under the reign of what monarch, the events which form the subject of the present tale took place; nor signifies it what is its authenticity, or by whom it was told; the opinions and philosophies of this more enlightened age contradict the ancient superstitions which bear a principal part in the story; and what were the facts which originally did occur, and have since been perverted to their present form, is more than we can at this time ascertain. Nor indeed is it necessary to separate the truth from the fiction, in an instance where no historical fact is materially concerned, and where natural and imaginative events seem so intimately blended together. No place or name is mentioned by which we can positively fix the scene; but, from many allusions, it seems to have been placed in the Highlands of Scotland. Let it be here observed, that there happen several blanks in the original tale, or rather breaks, which seem to divide it into chapters. These have been adhered to; and when any pause happened in the continuation, it has remained unaltered. CHAPTER I. It was a long time ago (says the tale) that in the valley where we are now all assembled, dwelt two families, united from age to age by mutual friendship and alliances: the unfortunate dissensions which raged raged around them had never been able in any degree to break the union which had so long subsisted; and acting together in all cases of war or tumult, the dangers which surrounded them but bound them more strongly than ever to one another. Many years had seen this amity undisturbed, when the chiefs of the two families agreed to cement their union, by betrothing the eldest son of the one to the daughter and only child of the other. were mere children; but even then Flora gave promise of infinite beauty; and the strong well-formed limbs of Edwin told that the hardy vigour of his house would descend in full proportion to him. Both Playmates in infancy, every hour increased their young affection for each other; and when at length Edwin departed for a distant land, Flora, though a child of only eight years old, wept bitterly to see him go; and a bright tear glittered in the boy's dark eye, as he turned away from the fair companion of his earliest days; and though the |