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will or not, time passes on, and after years had worn on, all hope of little Lillian's recovery was given up; it being concluded that she had either wandered into the woods, where she had perished for cauld and hunger, or been drowned in the water in trying to get her way back to the castle of Borthwick. The true story, however, had another version, which was the following:

At that time, the kingdom of Scotland was greatly overrun wi' the wandering Egyptians that gaed aboot like travelling merchants in the tinkler line, makers o' horn spoons, dealers in broad cloths, and sae on. So, ye observe, it happened at this very time, that a party of these thieves were encamped in the barony.

Aweel, one o' them was sitting on a stane no far frae the castle, at the time little Lillian, who was only three years auld, ran toddling out in her glee, wrapt up in a scarlet mantle, lined wi' satin and furs in the inside, and plastered wi' gold on the outside as thick as it could stick. The mantle was a thing brought by masters of vessels from the East, and called, by the heathen Turk, a baudekine. The gypsey had na seen siccan a prize for mony a lang day; and it set her teeth all a-watering; so she raise up, and looking aboot to see that no one was in the way, whippit up the bit creature in her arms, and off like wildfire.

She had na run far into the woods, when she tried to loose off the mantle, but na-it was fastened in several places, with golden clasps, and wouldna come. Little would hae prevented the wretch from killing o't, to make her prize mair secure; but though they were creatures that held at nought the laws of this world, and the fears of the next, she had enough of nature in her heart, when she looked at the bright flaxen hair, and the glancing blue een of the innocent, to stay her hand from any rash act; so she up wi't intil her arms again, pursuing her way amang the bye-paths of the hills.

She was now far away on the road to Coldinghame,

and was baith worn out and weary; when, as she got near a small village, she heard the trampling of horses' feet behind her, and fearing she was pursued by the warders, whae wad hae snappit off her head on the instant, like a sylve, she laid the bit creature down below a blue-berry bush on the road-side, and scoured off amang the thick fir-trees.

The party that cam up, however, were nane of my Lord Borthwick's folk ava, but the Lady Abbess of Coldinghame, attended by some twa or three brothers of the convent, who, seeing the bonny bairn rolled in the scarlet mantle lying on the grass below the bush, kenned at ance that it must either have been stown or lost; so they lifted it up, and taking it on with them, carried it to the convent.

The Leddy Abbess either never made inquiry regarding the business, or never heard whom the bairn belonged to; but, as the story goes, it grew up, like a sweet flower in a shady spot, to be a beautiful creature, stealing away the hearts of all that looked on her. At the time she was fifteen, a young knight, Sir David Seaton of Wintoun Tower, arrived on some matter of business, and chanced to see the fair foundling, along with the Abbess, in the guest hall. He was so smitten with her charms, that rest by day or night could he find none, until he had contrived, either by his ain art, or the bribery of others, to gain opportunities of acquainting Lillian with the depth of his affection, and getting her whose heart else had not passed unscathed, to pledge an oath of fidelity in return.

It seems, he was a strapping, handsome, young cavalier, as ever fought behind a buckler; but how was he to gain the consent of his noble relatives to a match with one who had nothing but dark blue eyes and sunny hair to recommend her; and couldna count ancestry back the length o' her ain father? It was a sad business; but when the heart goes foremost, there is little on this side of time that wunna be found capable o' being overcome.

In those days, folk didna stand upon ceremony, so he ran away wi' her, without asking leave of the Leddy Abbess, his ain relations, or ony body else; and carried her off to ane o' his places of strength, where she was to remain till he got every thing prepared for their nuptials.

At this very nick of time, however, it fell out that the Baron of Borthwick returned from the field; and, stopping for a night on his homeward journey to Borthwick Castle, reminded—or, indeed I should say, informed-the knight of a paction which had been entered into between himself and Sir David's deceased father, regarding the union of their children, if the one should happen to have a son and the other a daughter.

Between us, I maun say, that it was rather an unfair thing for any father or mother to make any bargains of the kind, as if the human heart was a thing that could either be bought or sold, or as if their bairns were to be exactly in the same way of thinking as themsells. Sir David Seaton was not a little struck with this treaty, concerning which he had never till this blessed moment heard a single word; but having always paid implicit regard to the commands of a father whom he loved in life, and whose memory in death he revered, his heart was like to break, and he didna ken what to do. At last he determined, so strong was the force of his filial piety, though put in competition with the feelings nearest and dearest to his soul, to lay the whole business before Lillian herself, and to abide by whatever she said, or consider his honour as a true knight bound him to do. The creature had a noble heart, and the blood of a hundred barons boiled up in it, and overflowed in her generous sacrifice. She told him at once to break from her, and follow the com mand of his deceased parent. "If ye be not true to him," said she, " ye never can be true to me. Do as his will and heaven points out to you; I will go back to our nunnery, and spend my life in prayers that both may be happy and prosperous."

So to the country Sir David was obliged to go; and after having paid due court to auld Leddy Borthwick's oldest daughter, Margery, all marriage matters were sune made up, and the bridal day appointed. Could we credit those who relate to us what they heard from their forbears, siccan a day for parade and display of finery was never seen in this country side for mony and mony a year. But, at lang and last, taking the road down by towards Ormiston, the laird of which they met with his household squires on horseback, the haill covey of them landed safe at the yetts of Wintoun Tower. The Abbot of Seaton, that was to have celebrated the rite, howsomever, by some chance or ither, didna arrive till after gloaming; so, not to lose precious time, as an immense company of lords and leddies were assembled, they all sat down to the marriage feast, in the first and foremost place; cutting and carving at the garnished boar's head, venison haunches, wild fowl, and other rare meats; and drinking their malvoisie, sherries, and other rich wines, out of silver quaighs, as if they had been spring water, and no brought at a ransom frae beyont seas.

It now being near darkening, auld Leddy Borthwick, and a wheen o' the gentles that were with her, took a step out from the feast-hall into the bridal bed-chamber, to see that every thing was in a state of befitting magnificence.

Gude kens a' that is reported of the braws of that chamber. The wall-hangings came from Arras in French Flanders; the silken curtains from Persia; the fine linen bed-furniture from Holland; and the carpets from the country of the Turk heathens: so all the bower-maidens lined the passage as they passed along, fully aware that her leddyship and the rest would be unco weel pleased wi' their tasteful handywork. They were all dressed in virgin white from tap to tae, except ane, that stood far abeigh, wi' a blue silk hood almost hiding her face. Nor were they disappointed in her leddyship's praise; for the

place, it seems, was quite a wonder for its rare and rich beauty, and fit to have lodged ony queen in Christendom.

But, sauf us a'! it seemed that something unco had happened, for the leddy gied a scream that made the walls ring, as she pulled aside the blue silk curtains; and she sune collected a' the lave of the grand party round her, sinking down on the big feather-stuffed easy-chair, as if she had been seized with some sudden qualm.

"What is the matter, my leddy; what is the matter?" screamed out half-a-dozen of them at once, as they crowded like a swarm of bees about their queen.

She wasna able to speak, it seems, so, wi' your leave, I'll speak for her in the meantime, and tell ye what was the matter.

When Lillian, in her sequestered dwelling-place, for she had not yet thought of returning to her nun's cell, heard of the day fixed for the marriage of her still but too dear lover, she thought there could be little harm of her breaking loose from her solitude for a day; and, ere she returned to a life for which she could now have no relish, be at least a spectator of the bliss it was not her happier lot to share. Being acquainted with one of the maidens of the tower, to whom she had done many charitable and benevolent offices, she arrived early on the morning of the bridal day, and took a humble part in the preparations making for the grand ceremony. When the last finishing had been given to the gorgeous apartment, Lillian lingered behind the rest; and hastily spreading over the satin coverlid the crimson mantle, gemmed with its precious stars of gold, which had been carried with her into the convent when she was rescued from the clutches of the Egyptian woman, she turned the key in the lock, and hurried away after the others.

What her object was in doing this freakish act is not so very plain. Some suppose it was to make what was very fine still finer; some that it was a love-gift to the bride; while others, who I dare say have the right clue to her

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