"Na," replied Babby, "I would think shame to do the like o' that, for what would my mistress think o' a young gentleman inveeting her to his forlorn breakfast? She has ne'er done the like o' that."

But, notwithstanding Babby's protest, I again requested her to invite Mrs Winsom. Some circumstance, however, unexplained at the time, prevented my invitation from being accepted, but in the evening, after having dined again in a coffee-house, when I returned home, I found candles and the tea equipage set on my table, with two cups on the tray. Babby lighted the candles, and soon after her mistress came into the room.

"It would," said she, "have put inc to an inconvenience to have troubled you with my society at breakfast, though it was at your own request; but I thought you might have a lei

sureliness at tea-time, for I jalouse you're of an inquisitive nature, and you have been thinking I could tell you something of the town. Now, sir, for that reason I have come of my own accord to drink my tea with you, though, on so scrimp an acquaintance, sic familiarity may no beget for me a great respect. But when we have few friends, we're fain of companions; and maybe I have an examplar and a les son to teach worth an inexperienced young man's attention. You hear that I'm a woman of your own country, but you know not what has made me to fix the pole of my tent in a foreign land."

By this time Babby had arranged the materiel of the tea, and Mrs Winsom having, after blowing into the spout of the teapot, determined that all was right and proper, proceeded to sip and chat, until from less to more she gave me the following sketch of her life.

"My father," said Mrs Winsom, was an Antiburgher minister, with a narrow stipend, and a small family of eleven children, whereof only five came to the years of discretion, and I was the youngest of them. He was a worthy good man, and held in great respect by the minister of the establishment, Doctor Drumlie, whose wife was a perfect lady, and took upon her my edication, which was the cause of its coming to pass that I grew into a superiority above the rest of my father's daughters.

"Being of a sedate and methodical turn, Mrs Drumlie thought when I was grown up, that I would make an excellent housekeeper till her brother the Laird of Kirkland, whose leddy was in a weakly way, and his house for that because in great need of red ding. His servants were neglectful, and every thing about him had fallen into a sort of decay and wastery. So, to make a long tale short, after writing letters and getting back answers, and talking a great deal of the good fortune that awaited me, I left my father's house, like Christian in the Pilgrim's Progress, with a burden on my back. I trow it was not, like his, a burden of sin, but what the folk in

Scotland call 'gude hamert-made claes.'

"The house of Kirkland was an auncient building; some thought it was the work of the Peghts, but the Laird himself, a man of edificial knowledge, was of a different conceit, and maintained it was of the time of the Reformation.

"The lady of the house of Kirkland being, as I have said, an ailing woman and of a frail condition, was sitting when I was shewn in to her in an easy chair, on the lee side of the diningroom fire. I saw that she was prejinct and genteel, and that if she had been in a state to herd her householdry, there would have been nae need of the like of me.

"When she had judged of me by some questions, she bade me to sit down, and put me under a strict examine concerning what I knew; but I had been so well brought up by her sister-in-law, Mrs Drumlic, that she was pleased to commend me as just such a young woman as she had long wanted. Thus it came to pass, that I espoused my fortune as housekeeper in the house of Kirkland; and verily it wa a great charge, for the Laird had his fykes and was ill to please, being

a sort of an astronomer, greatly addict ed to big auld-fashioned books. His book-room was just a confusion. I made a trial on an occasion one morning to set it in order, but Oh! the whirlwind of passion that he was in when he saw what I had been doing! so I was debarred from that time frae putting my foot within the door of that chamber. As for the Leddy's sickliness, it had nae doubt helped to make her silly, and not being able, by reason of rheumatics in her legs, to go about the house, the ordering of her own room and the room she sat in was her day's darg. But though she was a thought malcontent, I must do her the justice to bear testimony, that if she was fashed with trifles, she yet could reward merit and eydencie.

"My time, notwithstanding the Laird's fykes and the Leddy's fashes, would have bowled away pleasantly enough, but to get the upperhand of the neglectful servants was not an easy task. However, what by parting with one and ruling with moderation the rest, before a year was done, I had conquered the regency of the house, and it was spread far and wide that I had wrought a meeracle at Kirkland.

"My name being so spread, it was thought throughout the country side, that I would make a wonderful wife; and thus it came to pass in the course of nature, that Zachary Winsom, who was then butler at Guzzleton Castle, as Jenny sings in the sang, cam acourting to me.'

"He had saved money, was held in great respect, and though rather too well stricken in years, he was yet a blythe and portly man, with a pleasant rosy look and powthered hair, and he had a jocose and taking way with him, so that, from less to more, after acquaintanceship had quickened into affection, we were married; and a vacancy being at the time in Guzzleton, by the death of the housekeeper, Mrs Pickles, I was translated into her capacity. But there was an unca difference between the household charge of my new situation, and the faculties o' my duty at Corncraiks. However, I gave satisfaction to the family, and when Sir Alexander died, which was in the third year of my servitude, he left a brave legacy to my husband, and leaving a legacy to him I was not forgotten, so we thought o'coming into Edinburgh, and taking up a house o'

lodging for the genteeler order of Colleegeners. But after a short trial, we soon saw that it was a trade would never answer; the young gentlemen were often outstraplaes, which was a way of life and manner that did not accord with the orderliness of my habit and repute; and, moreover, they had no reverence for Mr Winsom, but made light o' his weel-bred manners, and jeered at some o' his wee conceities; for although he was a man o' a thousand, I'll no deny that he had his particularities. But they were innocent infirmities, and had won for him both civility and solid testimonies of favour from the gentlemen and friends of our late honoured master. We, therefore, after due deliberation, made a resolve that we would give up our house in Edinburgh, and before entering on a new sphere of life, would take a jaunt to see the world.

"Accordingly, in the summer, when the college broke up, and our lodgers had gone home to their fathers' houses, we packed up a trunk, and having gotten it on board a Berwick smack at the pier of Leith, we sailed for London, where, after a pleasing passage of four days, we were brought in good health, much the better of our voyage to this town, where Mr Winsom having a cousin in a most prosperous way, living in Bury Street, St James's, letting lodgings to government members of Parliament, and nabobs with the liver complaint from India, whereby he was making a power of money; and making a power of money, it so fell out that Mr Pickingwell (for that was the name of our cousin) invited us to stay with him and his wife, they having at the time a room unlet. Well, ye see, speaking with them of what we had come through with our lodgers, they gave us some insight how they ma naged with theirs; and when we had been with them the better part of a week, geeing shows and other fairlies, me and Mr Winsom had a secret consultation about settling ourselves in London, and setting up genteel dry lodgings like Mr Pickingwell's. This led to a confabulatory discourse between the men, while I sounded Mrs Pickingwell, who was just transported to hear of our project; a thing, when I considered we were to be rivals, was very liberal, indeed, on her part.

"When the ice had been thus broken, it was agreed among us, that un◄

til we had got some experience in the way of management, we should set up for a doucer kind of lodgers; and so it came to pass, that after looking about us for a house, we came by an accidence to hear of this one, and having bought the lease, Mr Winsom went to Scotland and brought our furniture, I staying in the meantime getting insight with Mrs Pickingwell. And it was just extraordinar to see what a profit they had on their week ly bills. But it was not ordained for me and Mr Winsom to fall into the way of such good fortune; for, although this house is worth twa of the house that Mr Pickingwell had, yet the folk that come here are for the most part of an economical nature, though I'll allow they're to the full as genteel, being in a certain sense men of stated incomes of their own, but no sae free as those wha hae the handling of public money, or the rooking of Hindoo Rajays. But for all that, if our gains were less, we led a quieter life, and for the first three years we lived in the land of Caanaun, till one evening Mr Winsom having the gout in his toe, felt it come into his stomach, whereby he was, before break of day, (though we had the best of doctors,) removed into Abraham's bosom, and left me a disconsolate and forlorn widow, in my seven-and-thirtieth year. Maybe I might have retired, for I'll no misca' the blessing by denying that I had a competency sufficient to have maintained me with decorum among my friends in Scotland; but usage to the business, and the liking I had to see things in order, enticed me to remain where I was; and thus, from less to more, day by day, and year by year, I have come to the verge of age, seeing but small cause to repine at my portion in this world, when I compare the sober passage of my life with the haste and hurries that I hae witnessed in the fortunes of many of my lodgers." The old lady having finished her narrative, I could not but applaud the tranquil respectability in which she had spent her days; and her concluding remark led me to say, that although her sphere had been narrow, it would yet seem that it had not been without interesting events. She acknowledged that this was the case, and added, that a lodging-house is " a wee

kingdom, wi' different orders and degrees of inhabitants, all subject to many changes. Maybe had it been less so, I would have wearied and gone home to my friends; but whenever I had a hankering o' that sort, something was sure to befall my lodgers that led me to take a part in their concerns, and detained me here. No farther gone than the present spring, I had come to a resolve to dispose of my lease, and, for that purpose, I had the house newly done up and beautified; but before I could find a purchaser, a lady and a gentleman took the first floor; and they were not long with me till I found myself fastened to them by the enchantment of an unaccountable curiosity, not that there was any thing remarkable in their manners, or that I had any cause to suspect their conduct was wrong, but still there was a mystery about them; they were visited by nobody, and the lady was often, when alone, seemingly in deep distress. They remained with me about a month, and suddenly left the house. I could discover no cause to induce them to remove; but still their determination was so hastily adopted, that I could not but think some unexpected and unforeseen event had wised them. In the course of a fortnight they came back, but the apartments were occupied, and I could not then receive them. Yesterday, a short time before you called, they came again, and, at the lady's request, I went to see her this morning in the lodgings where they now reside. I am still, however, as much in the dark as ever respecting them. It may be very true, as the gentlewoman says, that she prefers my house to that where they are at present accommodated; but that throws no light on the cause of their abrupt departure, nor on the distress which she so carefully conceals from her husband, if he be indeed her husband.".

This incident, so casually mentioned, induced me to express a desire to hear something of those lodgers who had on other occasions attracted her particular attention, and she promised to gratify me when I had a leisure half hour to hear her; for the night was by this time too far advanced for her to enter upon any new topic.

On the following evening I was engaged abroad, and did not return home till late. On entering the house, I perceived that some change had taken place, and Babby, in lighting me up stairs, told me by way of news, that the lady and gentleman who had taken the first floor had arrived, and that her mistress, being fatigued by the bustle of receiving them, had retired for the night.

There was nothing in this communication calculated to excite any degree of surprise; but Babby, after lighting my candles, instead of taking up her own and leaving the room, took a pin from her girdle, and trimming the wick, looked as if she had something important to tell me.

"I dinna think," said she, having replaced the pin, and lifted her candle, "I dinna think the folk we hae gotten will bide lang, and that we'll soon hae back the sweet afflicted young creature that sae often made my mistress sorrowful; I'm sure though I maun allow that she is a sweet young creature, that she's but a daffodil after all; and if I was in Mrs Winsom's place, I would ken what sort of commodity she is before I would take her a second time into my house. But my mistress may do as she pleases, only she'll no lang please me. I wasna to be brought from my father's house with the hope of gathering gold in gowpens here, and the prospect of a fat legacy hereafter, to see the property wasted awa' and thrown to the dogs and donaguids. Do ye ken, sir, that she hasna ta'en plack or bawbee frae that Miss Mournful and her gudeman, if he be her gudeman, the whole tot of the time they stayed with us, and that was mair than a month? and then they gaed aff in the cloud o' night in a terrification as if they were fleeing frae a hue and cry. If she take them back, I'll let Mrs Winsom soon see the breadth of my back, so I will." I was little disposed at that time to encourage the loquacity of Babby; but she had laid open a new trait in the character of my worthy landlady, and I repaired to my pillow ruminating on the strange mixture of qualities in characters.

Mrs Winsom was so evidently in the station for which she was design

ed, that it was impossible to conceive she could have filled any other better. All about her house partook of the neatness and good order of her own appearance-an impress of method and propriety was visible over all; and in the little history of her life she had alluded to no circumstances which might have led me to suspect her of a generosity so indiscreet and general as that of which her kinswoman and handmaid accused her. Finally I began to fancy that she was more interesting herself than any of the personages of whose history she intended to speak. Full of this notion I fell asleep, and when I awoke in the morning, and entered my sitting-room to ring for breakfast, I found her seated there with a book in her hand waiting for my appearance. It was Sunday morning, and the weather extremely wet. "You will be surprised to see me here, sir," said she," but I am very anxious to speak to you. In such a wet day ye'll no can go out unless it clear up, and nobody will come to you while such an even down pour continues, so we are not like to be molested."

I shall pass over the little preliminaries which constituted the overture to her conversation, and relate only the more interesting passages.

"I promised you," said she, to give you some account of the most memorable of my lodgers, and last night a very wonderful thing has happened. The lady and gentleman for whom the first floor was engaged by a friend of theirs, have proved very old acquaintances; the gentleman being no other than the identical first lodger me and Mr Winsom had after taking up house here. He was then a bare young lad, come to push his fortune in London. The lady is the daughter of Squire Retford, who with her mother lived in our drawing-room floor. It was a thing amaist contrary to nature that that rich and proud old Squire's daughter should ever have been allowed to marry Mr Melbourn, and yet it came to pass, and not by any cause or providence arising out of their meeting in my house. But the most curious thing of all is, that now when they are old, they should come without premeditation here. Their

object in being in London, is to seek for their only daughter, who has run away with a young gentleman whom they had ordained her to marry, but whom she mistook for his brother."

"The occurrence is remarkable enough,” said I;" but what were the circumstances which induced you to think the marriage of Mr Melbourn and Miss Retford so improbable?”

"I will tell you-he was not a man likely to win favour with a fair lady, and he was poor. His father, like my own, had been a minister, but not of the Antiburgher persuasion. He was of the Church of England. It coudna, however, be said of him, honest man, that he was a fat wallower in the troughs of her abundance, being only a curate, whose lean cheeks and white haffits shewed that he held but a barren communion with her feast of fat things. Mr Melbourn was his only son, and as I learned afterwards, had come to London to get some preferment from Government, and while he was staying with us his father came twice to visit him. The first time the old gentleman came, his thin face was bright and gladdened. He had come to introduce his son to a great man. They went out together, rejoicing in their hopes, and counting the sheaves of the harvest before the seed was sown. When they returned it was with longer faces. The old gentleman himself told me that their reception had been vastly polite, but that the Earl had offered his son no place.

"Did you ask him for any ? No,' said the good simple man. 'I was afraid he might think us intrusive if we did. In short, it appeared that both father and son had come in the fond expectation of obtaining the friendship and favour of a statesman, without having any means of return. For as I told him, tho' nae doubt his son was possessed of a talent, yet he wasna like, from what I had seen, to put it out to usury. We then had some farther discourse when the young Mr Melbourn was present, and I depicted to him how he should indite a pitiful letter to the Earl, and move him, if he could, to let him have a nook in a government office; for I had heard that this was a way to rise in the world. But the young man was proud and the old man was simple, so that between them nothing was at that time done, and the father went back

to the country-no doubt with a heavy heart.

"Some short time afterwards, both Mr Winsom and me, for he was then living, began to discern, as we thought, a straitness in the mouth of the young gentleman's purse, and he lived with such a scrupulous penury that we often made naething on his weekly bills, which caused us to cogitate and repine, and to wish that he would leave the house; for being then but new in the business, we coudna discern how with such customers we ever could make the twa ends meet. About this time the worthy old man paid his second visit, and we both remarked, that though his valise was heavy, his countenance was downcast.

"After he had been some time with his son, I took occasion to seek for something in the room where they were sitting, and seeking for something there, I saw they were very disconsolate, and it was manifest that their hope was sickly and drooping to decay. In my fear, for there were more than five weekly bills unpaid, I told Mr Winsom that I jaloused our debt was in a bad way, and argued with him that he should speak for a settlement. But this he was loth and reluctant to do, for we had both a great regard for young Mr Melbourn, and the old man was so pale, and lowly, and meek in his demeanour, that we felt it would have been profane to have craved him for money, when we were in our hearts satisfied that he had none to give.

"In the course of the same evening the old gentleman came into our parlour with an ill-put-on pleasantry of manner, and said to Mr Winsom and me, that he had brought with him some old useless trinkum-trankums of silver plate, that he wished to dispose of, begging that we would tell him the name of some silversmith who would give him the best price. His nether lip quivered as he spoke, I saw the tear shoot into his eye, and I felt great remorse in my own breast for what I had been urging Mr Winsom to do. However, we put on the best face we could, and Mr Winsom, in the end, took him that same night to an honest dealer in silver in the Strand, and the plate was sold. Next morning our bill was paid, and in the afternoon the father and son left the house, and we never heard for many a day