"But have you never thought of collecting sufficient testimonies for your own satisfaction, on an opinion received for centuries by the whole Scottish nation?" said Levingstone.

"There is against it," replied Mr. Thornhill," the seeming "the seeming analogy of things confusedly seen, and little understood; and for it the cry of natural persuasion, which may perhaps be re solved at last into prejudice and tradition. I can never advance my curiosity to conviction of even the possibi lity of establishing facts, from which any thing like probable results might be drawn; and I am now only willing to lend my belief to the probability of others acting the seer, as Glass acted the spectre at the Lady Maisry's Burn, and the Loch End,"

The conversation dropped here. St. Clyde was unwilling to press it further,

L5

and the minister had given his opinions freely.

St. Clyde went to bed more and more puzzled what to make of the tale of Carr, and not a little disconcerted to have sinned against Sandy Glass's honour; but, on the following morning, the first person he made it his bu siness to see was this poor lad; and it was all to please Ellen.

He met Glass in an out-house adjoining the manse, and came up to him saying, Here, Sandy, here's something I brought you from France."

"A dial! a dial!" exclaimed Glass, as he seized an old watch Colin held out to him; and if Glass, on the former day, swelled with wrath, and shrunk his huge frame into the hellish scowl of his brow, and the deadly slanting fire of his terrible eye, he now leapt out of himself with joy, and capered

and scattered a profusion of bows and idle blessings on the "oure guid laird."

Colin took a turn round the garden, where he observed Levingstone walking; and in the mean time Ellen made her appearance to prepare breakfast, for Mrs. Thornhill had made it her business to manage her own house week about with Ellen.

Glass, who had been rummaging the hen-house for eggs, came into the kitchen with some in his bonnet, and the watch tied to the highest buttonhole in his waistcoat.

"Jesu bless the guid young laird" came, if not with reverence, at all events with idle gratitude, from the lips of Glass, as he approached Ellen, pointing alternately into his bonnet to the eggs, and then to the watch, and then lifting his eyes and praying, "Jesu bless the guid young laird."

Ellen was quite transported to hear the orisons of Glass.

"Who gave you a watch, Sandy?" said the young lady.

66

My ain watch, my ain dial, it's my ain clock; Maister Maclean has but a sand glass," (and putting the watch to his ear,)" the sand dis na tic, tic, tic, when it fas; Sandy Glass is as bra' as baillie Ilan Dou; Maister Mactaggart sall see my dial afore the night; Sandy Glass will aye be guid, he will be mair mannery aye again. I wish I had nae gaen up to the auld carne on the muir; Jesu be thanket! I was keepit frae harm; Sandy Glass was unco braithfu'; the cloud was gathering above the barren land, and the cloud wad hae come down in a storm on the muir; it was, Jesu be praised! the ither cloud as fu' o' storm, and aiblins gaun to burst, that turned the

cloud frae the wilderness away; an' now, an' now, it has blawn awa'; the rose it may grow in the glen, an' the lily wad tak nae skaith at his chamber window; it's hissel's, the dear creature, darling, aye is't."

In this strain did Glass rave to the great delight of Ellen, who at length, to please the poor fellow, looked at and admired and praised his watch.

As soon as Ellen left the kitchen, the famula propria instructed Sandy as to a watch fob, and in the mean time got him persuaded to put it into his waistcoat pocket.

Ellen thanked Colin for having so wisely made up the matter with Glass; and Mr. Thornhill was also of opinion that it was always best when there was "an egg for a flint" between Christians and the like of Sandy Glass.

Levingstone heard from St. Clyde an account of his interview with John