le time for such explanations. Henry was now more
seldom their companion, being either a most unwilling attendant upon the
lessons of his tutor, or a forward volunteer under the instructions of
the foresters or grooms. As for the Keeper, his mornings were spent in
his study, maintaining correspondences of all kinds, and balancing in
his anxious mind the various intelligence which he collected from every
quarter concerning the expected change of Scottish politics, and the
probable strength of the parties who were about to struggle for power.
At other times he busied himself about arranging, and countermanding, and
then again arranging, the preparations which he judged necessary for the
reception of the Marquis of A----, whose arrival had been twice delayed
by some necessary cause of detention.

In the midst of all these various avocations, political and domestic,
he seemed not to observe how much his daughter and his guest were thrown
into each other's society, and was censured by many of his neighbours,
according to the fashion of neighbours in all countries, for suffering
such an intimate connexion to take place betwixt two young persons.
The only natural explanation was, that he designed them for each other;
while, in truth, his only motive was to temporise and procrastinate
until he should discover the real extent of the interest which the
Marquis took in Ravenswood's affairs, and the power which he was likely
to possess of advancing them. Until these points should be made both
clear and manifest, the Lord Keeper resolved that he would do nothing
to commit himself, either in one shape or other; and, like many cunning
persons, he overreached himself deplorably.

Amongst those who had been disposed to censure, with the greatest
severity, the conduct of Sir William Ashton, in permitting the prolonged
residence of Ravenswood under his roof, and his constant attendance on
Miss Ashton, was the new Laird of Girnington, and his faithful squire
and bottleholder, personages formerly well known to us by the names of
Hayston and Bucklaw, and his companion Captain Craigengelt. The former
had at length succeeded to the extensive property of his long-lived
grand-aunt, and to considerable wealth besides, which he had employed
in redeeming his paternal acres (by the title appertaining to which he
still chose to be designated), notwithstanding Captain Craigengelt had
proposed to him a most advantageous mode of vesting the money in Law