Year: 1866




intoxicating, went on at fine pace But
/ first he had the grace to tell her how Sandy
was spoken of among artists, of what prom
Use he was held, and to point out some oi
Sandy's friends who were not like the por
trait painters Jess had seen at Woodend


and to say the picture Of the family had ex
: cited a sensation, and that if Jess and the
minister were doubly recognized as two Of
the originals, and as the sister and the ia
ther of the artist, they would have to bear
some staring for Sandy's sake. Here Jess IS
credulity broke down. This statement
) was more than she could swallow, though
she had been devouring the rest,--the no.
ton that though Sandy should be the
greatest painter in the land, the minister
would be pointed at as Sandy's father. ,se
| Next, Birkholm's tongue wagged wildly
on his own affairs. There was word of his
sist Effie's marriage, indeed, he might
say it was as good as settled, with one of
the Edinburg writer's and Betsy's captain
was with his ship and Betsy who was not
sailing with him on his present station, was
delicate, and wanted Nancy to keep her
company in her lodgings at an English
seaport, and he would be left all by him
self at Birkholm. 1t seemed he thought no
shame of appealing to the charity of a
friend, and arrived speedily at direct insin-
uations that Jess might visit Edinburgh
again with him and the minister in month
or two, after harvest and before the hunt
ing season, or even might make the pres
ent visit serve two purposes, as, where
people were of one mind, the sooner "these
things" were done the better


Jess was forced TO interpose and put a
check on the honest, gallant laird, lest he
should come to the point of affronting her
by proposing plainly that her stay in town
should extend over the Sabbath and then
there would be time to send word to the
session clerk and precenter of Clovenford
to have their names cried in the kirk, and
the minister would celebrate the ceremony
on the Monday, without the trouble of we'd
ding clothes or wedding guests, or "riding
the broose" "Thee things" as the laird
called them with agreeable, self-conscious
vagueness, were thus performed frequently


The world had awakened to perceive a
want of delicacy in the old ostentatious pa
rade and riotous rejoicings at marriages,
and had run into opposite extreme by en-
couraging couples to steal off and be mar
ried in secret, fine ladies at Richmond, their
maids at Chelsea Half of Jess's acquaint-
ances quilted their homes, not in the &C
complishment of elopements, but with the
full consent of friends and relatives, and
posted in the all but universal white gowns
and yellow buckskins, affording no clew to
their design, to Edinburg or some other
large town, to be married in the privacy of
a crowd.


But Jess Stewart was not 80 minded. If
Birkholm had penetrated her secret, she
had arrived at her conclusion with the
swiftness of lightning, while mechanically
reviewing the specimens of early Scotch
art in the Exhibition Women are seldom
at fault when they stumble unawares on
the leading transactions of their lives,
they have rehearsed it too often in imagin-
ation,--and women like Jess Stewart,
never.


al shall not be back in Edinburgh till
the spring." said Jess, composedly, glanc-
ing at her black silk pelisse A" think my
Aunt Peggy wants me over at that time"
she added, with the duplicty which even a
woman like Jess could not resist being
guilty of, in the strait Had she been
clear as crystal in this as in other matters,
she would further have comforted the laird !;
''and then, Birkholm, after | have accus-
toned my father to the thought of not see
ing me every day in my mothers place, land
have made every provision for his comfort,
we will wed, but think on bonnie April
afternoon, in the Clovenford dining-room,
where the sound of the healths and the
cheering will reach to the kirkyard, as far
as my mothers grave. You and me have
spirit enough not to be feared at the ring
ing and firing we would rather give the
folk the play" las to Birkholm, he took the
comfort for granted, and did not need it ex-
pressed in words. .....


Birkholm dined with the family at Aunt
Peggy's on the dainty early lamb and the
mythically'sounding forced potatoes and
strawberries, the stereotyped luxuries of
the Assembly week in Edinburgh. Aunt
Peggy, that estimable and convenient kins-
woman, though she had never been in the
same room with the laird and her niece be-
fore, her eyes probably opened by her hos
pitability and it's good cheer, followed Jess
when she retired to prepare for her home
ward journey and folded her in her arms
as soon as they were in the best bedroom ;
called her fine lass, who had done her
duty 10y father and mother and brother land
enthusiastically predicted her reward. For
Aunt Peggy's part, she had always prom
ised that she would give Jess her tea CHI
ma, and she would take care that Jess had
a set which would not disgrace the brass
mounted tea-table of old Lady Birkholm.
She would notisay but, all things consid-
ered Jess might not count on her tea trays
forbye. ...s -f...r-.' s.E


Jess and the minister hied home to Clo-
venford, well supported. They had the will
ling convoy of both the young men,-San-
dy to remain for a months holidays He
was to inaugurate his picture, and be a
witness to all the parish coming to see and
and admire it, and to the minister never
tired of showing it off till he succeeded in
discovering subtle touches which the pain
ter had never laid on. any hand is closed
on my spectacles. Jess is bringing in the
eggs. She is copying a leaf from her rose
tree in her work. She had the first China
rose in Clovenford, ,and she was very ingen.
ious 1t is from his mother he takes hi s
TALENT ~ .
But beforehand, when Mr. Stewart and
the young people returning late in the sum
mer night TO Clovenford, and the latter de
layed for moment at the manse gate tc
take leave of Birkholm and enter into an