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earth, and hast dared to suppose that one other to be John Balfour ?"

"For my own feelings," said Morton composedly, I am answerable to none but Heaven-To you, Mr. Balfour, I should suppose it of little consequence whether Basil Olifant or Lord Evandale possess these estates." "Thou art deceived," said Burley; "both are indeed in outer darkness, and strangers to the light, as he whose eyes have never been opened to the day. But this Basil Olifant is a Nabal-a Demas-a base churl, whose wealth and power are at the disposal of him who can threaten to deprive him of them. He became a professor because he was deprived of these lands of Tillietudlem-he turned a papist to obtain possession of them-he called himself an Erastian, that he might not again lose them, and he will become what I list while I have in my power the document that may deprive him of them. lands are a bit between his jaws and a hook in his nostrils, and the rein and the line are in my hands to guide them as I think meet; and his they shall therefore be, unless I had assurance of bestowing them on a sure and sincere friend. But Lord Evandale is a malignant, of heart like flint, and brow like adamant; the goods of the world fall on him like leaves on the frost-bound earth, and unmoved he will see them whirled off by the first wind. The heathen virtues of such as he are more dangerous to us than the sordid cupidity of those, who, governed by their interest, must follow where it leads, and who, therefore, themselves the slaves of avarice, may be compelled to work in the vineyard, were it but to earn the wages sin."

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"This might have been all well some years since," replied Morton ;" and I could understand your argument, although I could never acquiesce in its justice. But at this crisis it seems useless to you to persevere in keeping up an influence which can no longer he directed to an useful purpose. The land has peace, liberty, and freedom of conscience and what would you more ?"

"More!" exclaimed Burley, again unsheathing his sword, with a vivacity which nearly made Morton start; "look at the notches upon that weapon; they are three in number, are they not?"

"It seems so,'

that ?"

answered Morton; "but what of

"The fragment of steel that parted from this first gap, rested on the skull of the perjured traitor, who first introduced Episcopacy into Scotland ;-this second notch was made in the rib-bone of an impious villain, the boldest and best soldier that upheld the prelatic cause at Drumclog ;-this third was broken on the steel headpiece of the captain who defended the Chapel of Holyrood when the people rose at the Revolution. I cleft him to the teeth through steel and bone. It has done great deeds this little weapon, and each of these blows was a deliverance to the church. This sword," he said, again sheathing it, "has yet more to do-to weed out this base and pestilential heresy of Erastianism-to vindicate the true liberty of the Kirk in her purity-to restore the Covenant in its glory,-then let it moulder and rust beside the bones of its master."22

"You have neither men nor means, Mr. Balfour, to disturb the government as now settled," argued Morton ; "the people are in general satisfied, excepting only the gentlemen of the Jacobite interest; and surely you would not join with those who would only use you for their own purposes?"

"It is they," answered Burley, "that should serve ours. I went to the camp of the malignant Claver'se, as the future King of Israel sought the land of the Philistines;I arranged with him a rising, and, but for the villain Evandale, the Erastians ere now had been driven from the west-I could slay him," he added, with a vindictive scowl, "were he grasping the horns of the altar!" He then proceeded in a calmer tone: "If thou, son of mine ancient comrade, wert suitor for thyself to this Edith Bellenden, and wert willing to put thy hand to the 26

VOL. II.

great work with zeal equal to thy courage, think not 1 would prefer the friendship of Basil Olifant to thine; thou shouldst then have the means that this document (he produced a parchment) affords, to place her in possession of the lands of her fathers. This have I longed to say to thee ever since I saw thee fight the good fight so strongly at the fatal Bridge. The maiden loved thee, and thou her."

Morton replied firmly, "I will not dissemble with you, Mr. Balfour, even to gain a good end. I came in hopes to persuade you to do a deed of justice to others, not to gain any selfish end of my own. I have failed-I grieve for your sake, more than for the loss which others will sustain by your injustice."

"You refuse my proffer, then ?" said Burley, with kindling eyes.

"I do," said Morton. "Would you be really, as you are desirous to be thought, a man of honour and conscience, you would, regardless of all other considerations, restore that parchment to Lord Evandale, to be used for the advantage of the lawful heir."

"Sooner shall it perish!" said Balfour; and, casting the deed into the heap of red charcoal beside him, pressed it down with the heel of his boot.

While it smoked, shrivelled, and crackled in the flames, Morton sprung forward to snatch it, and Burley catching hold of him, a struggle ensued. Both were strong men, but although Morton was much the more active and younger of the two, yet Balfour was the most powerful, and effectually prevented him from rescuing the deed until it was fairly reduced to a cinder. They then quitted hold of each other, and the enthusiast, rendered fiercer by the contest, glared on Morton with an eye expressive of frantic revenge.

"Thou hast my secret," he exclaimed; "thou must be mine, or die ?"

"I contemn your threats," said Morton; "I pity you, and leave you.'

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But, as he turned to retire, Burley stept before him, pushed the oak-trunk from its resting place, and, as it fell

thundering and crashing into the abyss beneath, drew his sword, and cried out, with a voice that rivalled the roar of the cataract and the thunder of the falling oak,"Now thou art at bay !-fight-yield, or die!" and standing in the mouth of the cavern, he flourished his naked sword.

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"I will not fight with the man that preserved my father's life," said Morton ;—" I have not yet learned to say the words, I yield; and my life I will rescue as I best can."

So speaking, and ere Balfour was aware of his purpose, he sprung past him, and exerting that youthful agility of which he possessed an uncommon share, leaped clear across the fearful chasm which divided the mouth of the cave from the projecting rock on the opposite side, and stood there safe and free from his incensed enemy. He immediately ascended the ravine, and, as he turned, saw Burley stand for an instant aghast with astonishment, and then, with the frenzy of disappointed rage, rush into the interior of his cavern.

It was not difficult for him to perceive that this unhappy man's mind had been so long agitated by desperate schemes and sudden disappointments, that it had lost its equipoize, and that there was now in his conduct a shade of lunacy, not the less striking from the vigour and craft with which he pursued his wild designs. Morton soon joined his guide, who had been terrified by the fall of the oak. This he represented as accidental; and she assured him in return, that the inhabitant of the cave would experience no inconvenience from it, being always provided with materials to construct another bridge.

The adventures of the morning were not yet ended As they approached the hut, the little girl made an ex clamation of surprise at seeing her grandmother groping her way towards them, at a greater distance from her home than she could have been supposed capable of travelling.

"O, sir, sir!" said the old woman, when she heard them approach, "gin e'er ve loved Lord Evandale, help

now or never!-God be praised that left my hearing when he took my poor eye-sight !-Come this way-this way-And O! tread lightly.-Peggy, hinny, gang saddle the gentleman's horse, and lead him cannily ahint the thorny shaw, and bide him there."

She conducted him to a small window, through which, himself unobserved, he could see two dragoons seated at their morning draught of ale, and conversing earnestly together.

"The more I think of it," said the one," the less I like it, Inglis; Evandale was a good officer, and the soldier's friend; and though we were punished for the mutiny at Tillietudlem, yet, by, Frank, you must

own we deserved it."

“D—n_seize me, if I forgive him for it, though!" replied the other; " and I think I can sit in his skirts now."

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"Why, man, you should forget and forgive-Better take the start with him along with the rest, and join the ranting Highlanders. We have all eat King James's bread."

"Thou art an ass; the start, as you call it, will never happen; the day's put off. Halliday's seen a ghost, or Miss Bellenden's fallen sick of the pip, or some blasted nonsense or another; the thing will never keep two days longer, and the first bird that sings out will get the reward." "That's true, too," answered his comrade; "and will this fellow-this Basil Olifant, pay handsomely?"

"Like a prince, man," said Inglis; "Evandale is the man on earth whom he hates worst, and he fears him besides about some law business, and were he once rubbed out of the way, all, he thinks, will be his own."

"But shall we have warrants and force enough ?" said the other fellow. "Few people here will stir against my lord, and we may find him with some of our own fellows at his back."

"Thou'rt a cowardly fool, Dick," returned Inglis ; "he is living quietly down at Fairy-knowe to avoid suspicion. Olifant is a magistrate, and will have some of his own people that he can trust along with him. There

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