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about what nane but fools rant, clishmaclaver-poor fools, wha tent their power within four wa's, an' gather mirky clouds abun their heads, an' at their feet a skirling bairn to gar them drudge frae morning to the gloamin, an frae the gloamin till the sin rise over the lawn."

Willie said little, but he plied her hard with kisses, and the torrent of pleasure he felt in being allowed to snatch them with a delicate resistance, fired his blood: and Bess, with all her stoicism, seemed by the attitude she threw herself in,-her fine breasts resting on Willie's bosom, and her longing eyes now and then stealing a glance of his, whilst there seemed to be no more words to ease her heart, and as if tied by the arms of Willie entwined around her waist, and her kisses warm in the place of vows,-Bess, we say, seemed as if her heart, now softer grown, half

yielded consent to the love-sick, faithful Willie.

But she contrived to get out of his innocent embrace, and scolded him as "nae blate to tak sic a liberty wi' her on the open lawn, whar mair e'en than what looked frae the lifts might see them: ne'er do't again, Willie; yeꞌne'er sall hae your will; ye ne'er sall mak me lead a puir feightan life o' Willie's wife:-na, na; ye'll ne'er mak muckle o' me wi' unco fraise, an' daut me afore fouk; an' as soon as your new-fangleness is gane, instead o' sweet delyte, 'cause ye tint your freedom for my sake, gang to wastefu' barliehoods, and sine be driven frae house an' hald; na, na, Willie."

Bess at length got out of Willie's clutches; and Levingstone hardly knew which to admire most, the assiduities of Willie, or the stifled attachment of Bess, who blushed through vanity rather

than shame.

It was evident Willie

loved Bess, and she loved Willie; for though she would not suffer him to speak either of love or marriage, her imagination and passion carried away that prudence and reserve which her loquacious tongue wanted to declare she possessed!. But the pleasures of sensuality had not sparkled in either's eyess as Willie embraced her only with the frankness of virtue, and Bess's generosity, the effect of a warm temperament, betrayed only a laudable inclination to change her opinions, whenever cir cumstances and Willie's assiduities rendered it necessary for her to do violence to the simple, childish philosophy her bashfulness had imbued her with. Bess! was forward only in loquacious resistance; her attitude, the pressure of her bosom on Willie's shoulder, evinced at any rate complacency and an ami able simplicity, if not a vanity to raise

herself in his thoughts; till reciprocal, common homage should crown the triumph of her conquest, and surfeit the lawful voluptuousness of both with the inviolable rights of their wedding day, and all the prettinesses of unbounded love and church-honoured libertinism. If Willie took her advice, he would never enjoy the pleasures of wedlock, though the prime of life had formed him for their enjoyment; if he did not press her to comply with his wishes, the affection of Bess might be seduced by another, who might not accommodate himself in every thing to her sovereign will, as would the rustic politeness and untutored civility of the gravely-simple, tenderly pleasing, handsome Willie.

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If Willie knew himself, the tale he had told Bess was quite enough; if he looked and sighed, she could well guess the cause; he was not obliged to in

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terpret the language of his looks, when he had again and again told her frankly his mind; when he had repeatedly declared he could not live without her. When in saying no, she had spent many an hour with her head resting on his bosom; when he had kissed her as long as kissing was good; when he had gone as far as he could go, without being rude; then, and then only, would it be time for Bess to whisper her fears that her freedom was gone, that his words thrilled her heart, that his smiles and glancing eyes she now could spell; and that the objections of her sex to the constant din and murmur of weans, whose greatest wish is,. to be made of and obtain a kiss,—that this, and all the fears of maidens for the little love when they become wives their husbands show, were only so many longings for the longsome pleasure of the night and the hour, when they

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