eyes met the ground but a pace from his foot; and as Bess came to the gate, whether the animal had heard her footsteps, or nature had been sated with dosing and dreamings, Willie's dog sprang to the gate, and barked the bark of "welcome;" for Bess he knew, and loved her for his master's sake; whatever was the cause, Bess screamed softly, and Willie sprang to the gate, fleet as the buck to meet his doe; but Bess exclaimed, "I darena stay."

How the gate was opened, or by what movement Willie and she seated themselves on the stone, Levingstone could not perceive; for the celerity with which both were performed, was so rapid, as to bid defiance to examination; but certain it was, that though the cause had vanished, the agents of that cause, and its effect on those agents, were now fit objects of minute attention to Levingstone.

Willie and Bess are seated." Ye wad na gang frae me, Bess, as soon ye've cam.""I winna be alane wi' ye, Willie."-" For aught I hear or see, we twa are e'en alane, my dawtie Bess."-"Fie, Willie, lad, ye manna prie my mow again."-"My ain dawtie, thy breath is sweeter than the sweetest brier, my dawtie's cheeks excel the rose; my bonny Bess, gif I could fancy aught's sae sweet and fair as your twa bonny arching breasts, mair white than ony lily, mair ripe than ony berries our glens can yield, an' a' the fruits that hang upon the trees are nae sae ripe, sae sweet, my dawtie Bess, as thou."-"Ye're havering, Willie, let me gang; ye ken lambs should tremble when the foxes preach; ye joker, ye may change your sang, and gif I tent a word o' loo, ye'll ablings make me thole the wrang."

"Gif now, my dawtie, ye'd believe,

I hae for you mair than a mither's fondness for her bairn, ye wad sit smiling on my knee; I'll wrang ye nane, my heart I'll never change; the burn sall rin up oure the glen, the fawing sun braw Ettrick woods sall cease to tint we goud, the diamonds frae the lifts be tane, the spring, the summer, an' the hairst shall be ae lang winter oure, afore that ought by me be said or doon to skaith my loo for Bess; my dawtie, gif ye haud me true, I'se tak my aith by mair than a' aboon; I'm stown, I canna change, ye need nae fear."

Rise, Willie; gif I could ony answer gi', but dinna haud me in your grips, ye'll gar my heart rin out at baith my een."-" O! dawtie Bess, my vera saul is lowping to my lips." "Fie, Willie, fie, what gars ye aye gae wod wi' kissing."" My heart is flightering fain for ae wee word o' comfort frae my dawtie."—" Willie, I din

na ken what's come oure me, but I canna-"-" Dinna greet, my bonny dawtie, dinna greet."-" O, Willie! gif I thought ye wad prove true, may be my heart might loo thee lang without a flaw."-"Eneugh, my bonny Bess; I see your rowing een can tell the truth o' what ye hae now tald; my heart is glee, I'm dizzy, I'm downright dizzy wi' the thought; in troth, I'm like to greet; I lang nae tint my power; ye'se hang nae langer on the tree; I'll spier the minister's leave afore it's lang, and sine ye'll be my ain, Bess."

"Nae! nae! Willie, dinna poo me; it's eneugh ye tak me i' your arms; ye ken we baith

"Man stint our wishes to this kind embrace, And mint nae farer till we've got the grace."

Levingstone eyed the pair: Willie clasped his charming armful, lost his

cares, and with kisses he softened her maid-soft mouth; and Bess repaid his tender love, by hanging on his neck, and sitting on his knee. In this embrace they clung, till, lost in all the pleasure of congenial soul and ceaseless, keen, impatient love, and dreams of incommeasureable prospective bliss,the shades of the evening left them scarcely distinguishable to Levingstone's view.

As they left the fauld, Bess voluntarily offered her pretty mouth to Willie, and it was indeed a free-will offering, if echo told the truth; and she ran home with the kiss on her lips, to dream her kisses o'er again; and, till the day should dawn, be busied only with sweet thoughts of sweetest Willie: and though Levingstone had a fine opportunity of making reflections on the innocent but serious passion of Willie, and the frivolous excuse, but violent sacrifice, of Bess's suffering soul, he was prevented