may

be blown into a flame, to be extinguished only by the union or annihilation of both souls.

Mon. Villejuive was acquainted with the principles of reaction, where minds. are similarly affected. The facilities of frequency of communication he knew were the chief objects deserving his attentions; and he did not let any one slip that could, in any way, be im-. proved to the attainment of his great and only plan, the marriage of Louis and Ellen; not that he had said any thing on this subject to his son; it was enough at present to encourage at times the attentions of his son, and at other times to allow those attentions to be paid and received, as circumstances permitted, without appearing to perceive them, without offering to censure or applaud them.

But he thought he would try the effects of a slight reproof; and when he

found it only spurred on his son's affections, he gave a little more latitudeto parental wrath, and represented the impropriety of Louis's marrying his cousin ; but when the young man would remonstrate on the encouragement he had drawn from his father's liberality of mind when his attentions were first directed towards Ellen, the father would give in; and Louis, emboldened by victory, went on till he became the most assiduous and engaging young man that could be desired, provided the disposition of Ellen had been as sanguine now as when she could number as her relations the laird and lady, Colin and Norah St. Clyde.

But the minister was not blind to the situation in which Ellen stood with Louis; and as Mr. Thornhill had a terrible horror of the union of cousins in marrying, he publicly preached on matrimony, and showed from the Scrip

tures the degrees of affinity within which a man might not marry a woman. This discourse was enough

to fire the blood of Monsieur Villejuive, though he had too much policy to allow his impatience to betray the agitation of his mind. He smothered his anger, and he became more friendly with the clergyman than usual. But he would ever and anon lecture to Louis on the minister's discourse on marriage, and urge it on the young man not to violate any usage and doctrine of the kirk by a foolish attachment, which might be conquered as easily as an improper gait in walking.

As the minister found that Ellen was susceptible to the force of his truth, though Louis by his increased assiduities seemed to brave it; the good man did not offer to tease her with the controversial opinions of the divines who had written on that subject;

and he thought time would blunt the edge of Louis's feelings and affections; and as his attentions would not be very warmly received by Ellen, there was a presumption that a twelvemonth should not elapse, when circumstances might make some change which would destroy all hopes of a match between Louis Villejuive and Ellen St. Clyde.

Monsieur Villejuive during this time was not the slacker employed in gaining the minister and the fiscal and baillie Ilan Dou to accede to his proposals. The dominie he now left out of his number. He had saved a little money from the wreck of the fortune he had spent to establish Prince Charles on his throne, and he would willingly retrieve the estate of St. Clyde, and the deeds should lie wih the fiscal till Ellen had the power of disposing of them as she chose. He would, besides, take it at an annual rent, and

try to improve the land; and Ellen night reside in the house with him, or alternately with him and the minister. The rent should be laid out at compound interest, and every thing he could do would be done for the comfort and happiness of Ellen.

Though the minister could not listen at first to this proposal, baillie Ilan Dou saw it so fair and honourable, and the fiscal was so delighted with it, that every body wondered how the minister, who had been so long the friend of Ellen and the family, should now offer to oppose a scheme, that had only for its object the welfare of his favourite Ellen. The minister was overcome but not convinced of the propriety of his conduct; and after a deal of ratiocination, it was resolved that Monsieur Villejuive should have the estate of Ellen St. Clyde at an annual rent, upon his redeeming the