Claud clasped his hands fervently together, exclaiming, “O God! thou hast ever seen my hypocrisy !-Dr Denholm,” and he took him firmly by the hand.-"When I was but a bairn, I kentna what it was to hae the innocence o' a young heart. I used to hide the sma' presents of siller I got frae my frien's, even when Maudge Dobbie, the auld kind creature that brought me up, couldna earn a sufficiency for our scrimpit meals; I didna gang near her when I kent she was in poortith and bedrid, for fear my heart would relent, and gar me gie her something out o' the gathering I was making for the redemption o' this vile yird, that is mair grateful than me, for it repays with its fruits the care o' the tiller. I stifled the very sense o' loving-kindness within me; and, in furtherance of my wicked avarice, I married a woman—Heaven may forgie the aversion I had to her, but my own nature never can!"

Dr Denholm held up his hands, and contemplated in silence the humbled and prostrate spirit that was thus proceeding with the frightful confession of its own baseness and depravity.

"But," cried the penitent, "I canna hope that ye're able to thole the sight that I would lay open in the inner sepulchre of my guilty conscience-for in a' my reprobation I had ever the right before me, when I deliberately preferred the wrang. The angel of the Lord ceased not, by night nor by day, to warsle for me; but I clung to Baal, and spurned and kicked whenever the messenger of brightness and grace tried to tak' me away."

The old man paused, and then looking towards the minister, who still continued silent, regarding him with compassionate amazement, said—

"Doctor, what can I expeck?"

"O, Mr Walkinshaw! but ye hae been a dure sinner," was the simple and emphatic reply; "and I hope that this sense o' the evil of your way, is an admonition to a repentance that may lead you into the right road at last. Be ye, therefore, thankful for the warning ye hae now gotten of the power and the displeasure of God.”

66

Many a warning," said Claud, "in tokens sairer than the plagues o' Egypt, which but grieved the flesh, hae I had in the

spirit; but still my heart was harden't till the destroying angel slew my first-born."

"Still, I say, be thankful, Mr Walkinshaw! ye hae received a singular manifestation of the goodness of God. Your son, we're to hope, is removed into a better world. He's exposed no more to the temptations of this life-a' care wi' him is past-a' sorrow is taken from him. It's no misfortune to die, but a great risk to be born; and nae Christian should sorrow, like unto those who are without hope, when Death, frae ahint the black yett, puts forth his ancient hand, and pulls in a brother or a sister by the skirts of the garment of flesh. The like o' that, Mr Walkinshaw, is naething; but when, by the removal of a friend, we are taught to see the error of our way, it's a great thing for us-it's a blithe thing; and therefore, I say unto you again, brother, be of good cheer, for in this temporal death of your son, maybe the Lord has been pleased to bring about your own salvation."

“And what may be the token whereby I may venture to take comfort frae the hope?"

"There's nae surer sign gi'en to man than that token-when ye see this life but as a pilgrimage, then ye may set forward in your way rejoicing—when ye behold nothing in your goods and gear but trash and splendid dirt, then may ye be sure that ye hae gotten better than silver or gold-when ye see in your herds and flocks but fodder for a carnal creature like the beasts that perish, then shall ye eat of the heavenly manna—when ye thirst to do good, then shall the rock be smitten, and the waters of life, flowing forth, will follow you wheresoever you travel in the wilderness of this world."

The venerable pastor suddenly paused, for at that moment Claud laid aside his hat, and, falling on his knees, clasped his hands together, and, looking towards the skies, his long grey hair flowing over his back, he said with awful solemnity, “Father, thy will be done!—in the devastation of my earthly heart, I accept the erles of thy service."

He then rose with a serene countenance, as if his rigid features had undergone some benignant transformation. At that moment a distant strain of wild and holy music, rising from a hundred,

voices, drew their attention towards a shaggy bank of natural birch and hazel, where, on the sloping ground in front, they saw a number of Cameronians from Glasgow, and the neighbouring villages, assembled to commemorate in worship the persecutions which their forefathers had suffered there for righteousness sake.

After listening till the psalm was finished, Claud and Dr Denholm returned towards the house, where they found Leddy Grippy had arrived. The old man, in order to avoid any unnecessary conversation, proposed that the servants should be called in, and that the doctor should pray-which he did accordingly, and at the conclusion retired.

CHAPTER XLV.

ON Monday Claud rose early, and, without waiting for breakfast, or heeding the remonstrances of his wife on the risk he ran in going afield fasting, walked to Glasgow, and went directly to the house of his mother-in-law, the aged Leddy Plealands, now considerably above fourscore. The natural delicacy of her constitution had received so great a shock from the death of Charles, that she was unable that morning to leave her room. Having, however, brought home with her the two orphans until after the funeral, their grandfather found them playing in the parlour, and perhaps he was better pleased to meet with them than had she been there herself.

Although they knew him perfectly, yet the cold and distant intercourse which arose from his estrangement towards their father, had prevented them from being on those terms of familiarity which commonly subsist between children and their grandfathers; and when they saw him enter the room, they immediately left their toys on the floor, and, retiring to a corner, stood looking at him timidly, with their hands behind.

The old man, without seeming to notice their innocent reverence, walked to a chair near the window, and sat down. His demeanour was as calm, and his features as sedate, as usual; but

his eyes glittered with a slight sprinkling of tears, and twice or thrice he pressed his elbows into his sides, as if to restrain some inordinate agitation of the heart. In the course of a few minutes he became quite master of himself, and, looking for a short time compassionately at the children, he invited them to come to him. Mary, the girl, who was the youngest, obeyed at once the summons; but James, the boy, still kept back.

"What for wilt t'ou no come to me?" said Claud.

"Hurt

"I'll come, if ye'll no hurt me," replied the child. thee! what for, poor thing, should I hurt thee?" enquired his grandfather, somewhat disturbed by the proposed condition.

"I dinna ken," said the boy, still retreating-" but I am fear't, for ye hurt papa for naething, and mamma used to greet for't."

Claud shuddered, and in the spasmodic effort which he made to suppress his emotion, he unconsciously squeezed the little hand of the girl so hardly, as he held her between his knees, that she shrieked with the pain, and flew towards her brother, who, equally terrified, ran to shelter himself behind a chair.

For some time the old man was so much affected, that he felt himself incapable of speaking to them. But he said to himself

"It is fit that I should endure this. I sowed tares, and maunna expeck wheat."

The children, not finding themselves angrily pursued, began to recover courage, and again to look at him.

“I didna mean to hurt thee, Mary," said he, after a short interval. "Come, and we'll mak' it up;" and, turning to the boy, he added, "I'm very wae that e'er I did ony wrang to your father, my bonny laddie, but I'll do sae nae mair."

"for

"That's cause ye canna help it," replied James boldly; he's dead-he's in a soun' soun' sleep-nobody but an angel wi' the last trumpet at his vera lug is able to waken him—and Mary and me, and mamma-we're a' gaun to lie down and die too, for there's nobody now in the world that cares for us."

"I care for you, my lambie, and I'll be kind to you; I'll be as kind as your father."

It would appear that these words had been spoken affection

ately; for the little girl, forgetful of her hurt, returned, and placed herself between his knees; but her brother still stood aloof.

"But will ye be kind to mamma ?" said the boy, with an eager and suspicious look.

"That I will," was the answer.

"She'll ne'er again hae to

blame me, nor hae reason to be sorrowful on my account."

"But werena ye ance papa's papa?" rejoined the child, still more suspiciously.

The old man felt the full force of all that was meant by these simple expressions, and he drew his hand hastily over his eyes to wipe away the rising tears.

"And will ye never trust me?" said he sorrowfully to the child, who, melted by the tone in which it was uttered, advanced two or three steps towards him.

66

Ay, if ye'll say as sure's death that ye'll no hurt me."

"Then I do say as sure's death," exclaimed Claud fervently, and held out his hand, which the child, running forward, caught in his, and was in the same moment folded to his grandfather's bosom.

Leddy Plealands had, in the mean time, been told who was her visiter, and being anxious, for many reasons, to see him at this crisis, opened the door. Feeble, pale, and delicate, the venerable gentlewoman was startled at seeing a sight she so little expected, and stood several minutes with the door in her hand before she entered.

"Come in!" said Claud to her-" come in! I hae something to say to you anent thir bairns. Something maun be done for them and their mother; and I would fain tak' counsel wi' you concernin't. Bell Fatherlans is ouer frush a heart to thole wi' the dinging and fyke o' our house, or I would tak' them a' hame to Grippy; but ye maun devise some method wi' her to mak' their loss as light in worldly circumstances as my means will alloo; and whatsoever you and her 'gree upon, Mr Keelevin will see executed baith by deed and paction."

"Is't possible that ye're sincere, Mr Walkinshaw ?" replied the old lady.

Claud made no answer, but disconsolately shook his head.