servants, I darsn't look no more.

And when I was shewn into that grand room, and all the blazing lights, and my word, the biggest lady ever I seed, and no you, Miss Nell, any where, then I could hould no longer."

Phebe, dear, I never knew you were coming. It seems extraordinary to me now, I can hardly believe it is you. Compose yourself, and do tell me this wonderful story."

I rang for her to have refreshment, and I made a great deal of her, and called her “ my dear Phebe" before the servants, and so fortunately brought her to a more comfortable state of mind before I had to leave her for dinner. I showed her the young Glynne sleeping, and said if he stirred, she was to sing some of the songs I had taught her, and she was to make herself happy, and not fret until I returned to her. But my curiosity was, perforce, obliged to go unsated.

The revulsion of feeling soon took place, and from the depth of misery, I found Phebe, on my return from the dining-room, in a flush of mingled conceit and delight.

Oh, Miss Nell, they treat me just like a

lady. I had a siller spoon to my tea, think o' that. My word, thinks I, if mother could see you sitting in this grand room, with a little lord sleeping next door, and a maid waiting on me, she would be forgetting her rubrics."

"But Phebe, who sent you here?"

Why, the grandest man ever you seed, except he looks joost, ye ken, no happy like. He walked into church one Sabbath afternoon, taking the eyes of a' the people after him, he was that fine looking; and Mr. Grant, joost mad, ye see, wi' the people looking off their rubrics, mither and a', mind ye. And he sat down by auld Nanny Alexander, the first place he came to. And when the service was oure, he gangs, wi' his hat off his head, as if he had been joost ane o' the fishers, and Mr. Bernard, my Lord Bishop, and axes for a bit talk with him. And Mr. Grant says someat about its being the Sabbath, and no a business day; and my word, ye should ha' seen the stranger lord, for we kenned he was nae less, look him over."

"Did he say anything?"

'Aye, he said, clear as any bell, wi' this sort

o' air

"And presuming it is not business.'

Phebe's attempts to imitate Glynne's voice and manner were rather more ridiculous than sublime.

Mrs. Bernard, and he

"So Mr. Grant went off, and he went into the rectory wi' Mr. and bided there three days.

And, oh, my word,

Miss Nell, mither, and me, and father's joost mad about him. He said he was yer ain and very

nigh nearest relation, and that they had all been

wae at the loss of ye.

thank a' those who had

And he had come to been guid and kind till

ye, and to say ye had gettun safe home, and they need never fear ye wad be ill-treat agin, as the monster, I mind not if thon's the right word, but it's some hard name, ye ken, that druv ye from home, was married the noo, and ye never need fear him mair. And he axed Mr. and Mrs. Bernard to come and see you at his house. And he gave mother a silver tea-pot, with the word 'Nellie' on the lid, that she might never forget ye-as if we should-and father a siller snuff-box; and he is to have a picture o' our

wee Lady Nellie, at his ain word. There's no holding father. And me, Miss Nell, he gave me joost twenty pound; and I was to come and live wi' you, and be the young lord's nurse. My word, if father and mother isn't prood. Such a beautiful grand man too! but, oh, the sorrowful eyes of him! And he gave Mrs. Blaize a very handsome present of money to new furnish the cottage; but she was no ways to tell anybody. And Mr. Blaize, he is ganging to get made dockkeeper, or someat good o' that tidy; and he has been that.

sort, if he'll be

Mr. Bernard's

in

ganging to be his surety, ye see. Nathing that grand man did was wrang or foolish. It was the talk o' the hale village; the very childer wad rin and say, 'I kenned pretty wee Miss Nell, my lord.' And he wad stop and question them. And he has left a power of money Mr. Bernard's hands for the church and the poor Fishers. But oh, Miss Nellie, the grandest thing of a's to tell. Ye mind how it blawed that week, and there were nae less than fifteen colliers o' the shore at oncet, and ane o' our cobles lost, wi' all on board. He has pitten a grand sum o' money into a ship-builder's hands

for to build a life-boat, and a house for her, and a sum of money to be paid as wages for her crew. And what du ye think she is to be named? Nellie; no less, and, 'deed, no name more proper. Them Grants got naething, no, but what he had a fine present for baith. But they sent them back, and said, 'they worked for the Lord, and not for hire.' And mither was mad at them. Madam Bernard was no pleased, but said, 'The present was meant kindly, as a remembrance of Nellie.' My word, Miss Nell, them folks is to be pitied as cannot see a kindly thought. And to think of your being this grand lady, with such a lord for your cousin! Eh, but mither bid me say how main vexed she was as she didn't ken afore. Father sent nae message but his duty and he thanked the Lord his captain's child had found a home wi' him. And Miss Nell, if ye was to gang back, ye'd see how grand ye'd be welcomed, young Archie Allison to the very fore."

;

I had let Phebe run on. I had asked no questions; I dare not. I wished to hear more, but ought I to listen? I had, perhaps, been thinking how keenly, cruelly, Glynne had been