, 1864-04-23

said Marion, "for my maiden ambition has
led US into this trouble; yet will l rather be
an inmate in our uncle's dungeon than be
the wife of the boy y-husband he would assign
me. Sister, will you not upbraid me?"
"Upbraid you" said the calm and gentle
Margaret, {" stern us is our uncle, deadly as
is his wrath, l fear him not. The other day
you spoke to me jeeriugly Of Sir Patrick
Hume; in the same strain answered you
respecting his brother George. Eight days
will not pass until Sir Patrick miss me from
Polwarth; and powerful as my uncle may
be, bold and desperate as he is, l know that
one stone Of Herdmanstone Castle will not
be left standing upon another until we are
freed"
"You have brave heart, sister," said
Marion, "but it is small comfort to me, who
must look upon myself as the author of this
disaster. And how think ye that Sir Pat
rick or his brother George (if ye will speak
o him) are to hear of our confinement? ?
Wot yc not that they know not where we
are or if they should know, they will not
apprehend that evil could befal us in the
house of our relative"
"Ibelieve, Marion" answered Margaret,
"that within the eight days which our uncle
has named, we shall either be at liberty or
have ceased to live. 1t is our lives that he
seeks, not that we should be the wives of
his sons; rather than be so wed, l will die
so will you. But, If we should die, our
deaths would not be unavenged. lie would
neither enjoy our estates, nor the triumph
Of his guilt. Ye have heard the names Of
Patrick and George Hume Of Wedderburn
spoken Of as sounds Of terror upon the Bor-
ders; their swords have avenged the injured
and released the captive. Marion! they
will avenge our wrongs! dear sister, be not
afraid"
1t was about daybrcak on the fourth day
after their imprisonment that musician,
who played upon the Union or Northum-
brian pipe of those days, approached beneath
the window Of their apartment, and softly
playing an air, accompanied it with his
voice, as follows:
My heart is divided between them,
dinna ken which l wad hae;
Right willing my heart l wad gicn them
But bow can gle II to twaeH
There's Mcggy, fairer or better
I'm certain there cOuldna weel be-;
Dumfounderd the first time met her,
What was sweet Marion to met
Yet Marion is gentle and bonny---
liked her ere Meggy saw;
And they say il is siniu' for ony
Man upon earth to like twa.
My heart il Is ruggd and tormcntcd,
I'd lire wi or Die Tor them bath
I've done what I've often repented,
To bath ! have plighted my aith.
And OF when I'm walking with Mcggy,
Ill say" Dear Marion" and start;
While fearfn' she'll say, Well, ken re
Hae ithers mair dear to your heart"
Was ever q man sae conioundedi
dinna ken what will be dune,
Bath sides o my bosom are wounded,
And they'll be tho death o me sune.
"Harkp said Marion, as she listened to
the strain Of the minstrel "it is the song
Of the Egyptian thief, johnny Faa. Mind
We since he sang il beneath our window at
Kimmerghame I"
al remember IL weel," replied Margaret.
But dinna call him thief, sister; for, be
Johnny king or no king, he is ono that
King James is glad to lift his bonnet to I;
and / am sure that he means weel to us at
present. Wheesht ye, Marion, and l will
whisper to him q low chaunt over the win
dow" And in low voice she sung
Oh, saw ye my laddie comm, JohnnyH
Oh, saw ye my laddis comin'f
II ye've no seen him, tell him frae me,
That I'm . woeih' woman.
We here are sisters twa, johnny,
Confined within this tower;
And ilka time the sun gaes down,
1t points to our death hour.
"Iheard il rumored, gentle maiden" said
the gypsy, gazing eagerly towards the win
dow from whence they looked, "that no good
was intended ye in this place; and though
it be not in the power Of Johnny Faa to
bring to We the assistance Of his own men,
yet It strikes me there is ane, if no twa, maid
ems, that l could bring ID your rescue, and
that wad make clap O thunder ring through
the deepest cell in Herdmanstone."
"Thank ye, Johnny" replied Margaret; !;
"ye're kind-ye're very Kind; and if ye
wad carry bit scrap o paper to Wedder-
burn Castle, greatly would ye aid Distress
cd damsel."
al thank 70, my doc, for relying on tho
word and promise o John, king and lord o
Little Egypt. Little do they ken me, and
less is their knowledge o our race, who think
thatwe wad look upon thosewho arewronged
without seeing them righted. How heard
Of your imprisonment, or thewrong intended
ye, never fash your thumb; though bird
waited it in my lugs wi its wings, though it
chirped il in them Us it chirmed past me, il
is enough that ken o your wrongs, and
that will assist ye. Trust me, maidens."
al will trust ye," answered Margaret.
"Dinna trust him, sister,. said Marion |;
"he may be some spy Of our uncle's."
"Of being spy" cried the other, IL
dinna believe him capable. Stop, johnny,
or king, or whatever ye bo, she added, "and
/ will throw 20 q word or two TO carry to
Sir Patrick Hume of Wedderburn."
She addressed to him few words, and
threw the paper which contained them into
the hands Of the gypsy.
BLESS ye for your confidence, my bonny
l.sa;a 10 aatI Tohnux, Eaa &c aud hafora Al.