The Duke certainly did retire soon after dinner, but not alone, for Lady Honoria positively insisted that she would accompany him for an hour or two to play a game of chess, (of which his Grace was remarkably fond,) determined that she would now carry her point of making her beloved brother once more a member of society.

"Play at chess with you?" cried the Duke; "why really, Honoria, I have almost forgot the game."

"All the better, Sydney," replied her Ladyship; "I shall then have the pleasure of refreshing your memory;—in the mean time Jean will find most excellent amusement for Mr. Fothersgill and his pupil, by showing them the picture gallery, if you will permit her." Surely; desire Donald to attend you, my love," cried the Duke; "and I don't know-I really don't know but what I may join you a little in the course of the evening."

66

On this assurance, the lovely Jean kissed the hand of her father, and the noble Duke immediately retired with his sister.

A difficulty occurred, however, with respect to the picture gallery, which could not be viewed at the present moment, owing to the absence of Donald, who always kept the key in his custody till his master required it to be delivered up to him. It had been carefully shut up ever since the death of the lamented Duchess, owing to an unfinished portrait of her being placed there for the artist to work upon; and this circumstance rendered the intrusion of visitants to the gallery highly improper, till orders were issued by the noble Duke for their admission; which orders were strictly obeyed by. Donald, and he had now taken a walk out. Lady Jean, therefore, felt obliged to offer an apology to Fothersgill and Tanjore for the absence of Donald, and explained to them the above circumstance.. "But there will be plenty of time for your inspecting the gallery," uttered she, with a sweet and cordial smile, "in the course of the very long visit which I hope you intend to make at Dumfairling Castle; and then, perhaps, Mr. Tanjore, we may be able to provide you with a companion of your own age, who will feel himself proud and happy to entertain you. Ah! yes, I have little doubt but Edwin will soon be back again; he never likes to stay over long away from his native mountains."

As Lady Jean made this observation, her head was half averted from Tanjore, but as she turned suddenly again, and met his eyes fixed full on her lovely face, she blushed deeply, for Tanjore perceived

that from beneath her dark-fringed eye-lids a tear had intrusively strayed, and still rested there, like the dew-drop that trembles on the blossomed thorn.

A smile, however, soon dissolved the charm of the tender melancholy which at moment seemed to have surprised the lovely maid, and which had sprung up unconsciously with the name of Edwin! but who Edwin was, or why he possessed an influence over the feelings of Lady Jean Belmont at this critical moment, Tanjore was wholly at a loss to surmise, much less did he presume to inquire.

A walk was now proposed by the lovely Jean up to "the Bower," as she called it,-

"Where you must not be surprised at any thing you see there," cried she; " you must just imagine that you are reading some of WALTER SCOTT's canty auld tales, when ye shall see gude wives an' their wee bairns, an' lads an' lasses, an' a' the gallant chieftains that ha'e bled in the Scottish wars, a glimmering an' dancing before yere een; an' they whar a' flesh an' bluid, an' ye mun ken they're nae mair than pasteboard ;" and throwing on a plaid loosely over her shoulders, Jean started up, and declared that she was ready to become their guide to "Lucky Meg's Auld Bower;" while Fothersgill and Tanjore laughed heartily at the whimsicality and good humour in which this lovely girl so peculiarly abounded, and which Tanjore was well aware was without one atom of affection.

Oh, Lady Jean," cried Tanjore, "if you knew what a peculiar charm your native accent gives you, you would never speak in any other."

"But what would my father say to that ?" replied Jean, laughing, "who has taken such pains to make me an Englishwoman. Edwin, too, would laugh at me, if I were to neglect the lessons he has so regularly taught me. Oh no, I must please my father, were I to displease all the world beside."

"Edwin again !" thought Tanjore, as he arose to accompany his lovely conductress," ah! there is something more attached to the name of Edwin than I can possibly comprehend ;-but what does it concern me ?-what right have I to discover or search into the secrets of this lovely, artless, and certainly this most ingenuous young creature ?"

Meanwhile, Lady Jean had already led them through the most impervious windings, which conducted them to the entrance of the

different avenues of the Castle, some of which were dark, and had the most gloomy aspect imaginable; and though Fothersgill was amused by the novelty of the scene, and considered himself perfectly safe under such a convoy, yet Lady Jean often caught the tutor looking back at the Castle, and casting a glance of anxious inquiry towards his pupil, which excited her risibility to such a degree that she exclaimed, as they at length arrived at a beautiful and embowering shade, leading to the entrance of a wild shrubbery, which emitted the most fragrant perfumes,

"Well, Sir, dare ye now venture a wee bit further? Ye ken there's nae ghaist to frighten you, but if ye stay a while, ye shall see the bonniest lass in a' Scotland come out to greet you with a right gude Highland welcome, fra' Auld Meggie's Bower."

Tanjore now laughed heartily, perceiving that the old quaint tutor was actually under the influence of fear, as they approached Auld Meggie's Bower, to which in a few succeeding minutes they advanced.

It was a simple structure, but formed of such materials as to excite the greatest wonder and astonishment, for on Lady Jean's lifting the latch of the door, which she touched as lightly as possible, out popped an old woman, with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a glass in the other, which she seemed to invite them to partake of, by the following inscription being written in legible characters over the entrance of the bower:

"Auld Meggie's Bower,
"Made in a wintry hour!
"Ye need na doubt

"Ye'll ken me out;

"Wha kens my name,

"May ken my fame

"In right gude Highland whiskey."

"What say ye to that, now, Mr. Fothersgill?" cried Lady Jean, laughing at the astonishment which was depicted in the countenance of the quaint tutor : "Will you accept of the auld lucky's invitation?will ye come to the bower, Mr. Tanjore ?”

The resistless smile of the lovely Jean conquered even the fears of the tutor, while they charmed the heart of the pupil; and they entered the bower without a moment's further hesitation, whose door was almost instantaneously and mysteriously closed on them.

Ir astonishment and surprise had been excited on the minds of Fothersgill and his pupil, on a view of the outside of "Auld Meggie's Bower," it was doubly so on their entrance, for their lovely conductress led them into a grotto, where they were immediately surrounded by a group of figures, which had all the appearance of so many youthful fairies; and they guarded a recess, all composed of such beautiful materials, that they looked like gems exposed to the dazzling rays of the sun, and round which the most odoriferous flowers breathed their most delicate perfumes.

Three moss-covered seats were placed in the grotto, and in the centre a rustic table, spread with wine and the most delicious fruits, jellies, and cakes, all covered with fresh vine leaves, which the hands of the lovely Jean immediately removed, and invited them to partake of. Meanwhile, the old woman who had at first appeared, made her obedience to the guests and retired, but where neither Fothersgill nor his pupil could possibly divine.

"Since you are the enchantress of this lovely bower, Lady Jean," said Tanjore, seating himself on one of the moss benches, while she helped him to some of the delicious grapes, pray tell us by what extraordinary means the old woman has escaped, and by whose hands this delightful entertainment has been prepared, surely not for us, as we could not possibly have been expected?" To which the lovely Jean smilingly replied,-

"All travellers who chance to enter Meggie's Bower are treated with the same delicate fare, not provided by her, but by her beautiful mistress, who is called 'the Witch of the Lake :' it is she who properly inhabits this fairy gotto;-you shall see her presently, and judge how far she merits the appellation she has acquired; but I have other company to introduce you to besides her,—she is the last personage whom you will be permitted to behold; but you are quite mistaken in supposing me to be the enchantress of this place--Mr. Fothersgill may be the enchanter, if he pleases, or you, Mr. Tanjore. Every body is gifted with the power of enchantment who enters here." "As how, my dear Lady Jean?" cried Fothersgill; "I perfectly ́stand amazed at your information."

"I will convince you, Sir," cried Lady Jean; "Go to the recess, and pluck off one of those white flowers, that emit such delightful fragrance through the grotto, and you will presently see the effect it will produce in a moment.”

"Suppose that Mr. Tanjore were to do it," cried the tutor, really under the influence of some alarm, which occasioned Lady Jean the most immoderate fit of laughter, while she exclaimed,

"And what are you afraid of, Mr. Fothersgill? There's nae evil lurks under sic a bonnie flower,-pluck it, an' ye shall see."

There was no resisting this command from the lips of smiling beauty, and Fothersgill very cautiously approached the recess, and with somewhat of an unsteady hand gathered the lovely flower from its slender stem. Instantly the fairy nymphs lifted up the mysterious curtain that shadowed the recess, and a silver lake appeared, bearing on its surface a brilliant car, drawn by swans, in which was a female figure, attired in the habit of a witch, but whose lovely face was a model of the most perfect beauty: she had a wand in her hand, wreathed with myrtle and roses, and to the utter surprise and astonishment of Fothersgill, Lady Jean immediately approached, and gathering another of the blossoms from off the white-flowered tree, flung it into the car. The beauteous swans then gently appeared to ruffle the surface of the lake, sounds of the most melodious music floated at a distance, and the lovely witch gradually disappeared from the spectators, the curtain falling as gently as it had arose, the beautiful group of fairy figures moving towards it, as they had done before on their entrance to the grotto, at which Fothersgill and Tanjore expressed the greatest wonder and surprise.