hat he may take his ain creditable gate o't, and
ally himsell wi' his father's enemies, that have taken his broad lands
and my bonny kail-yard from the lawful owners thereof."

Cervantes acutely remarks, that flattery is pleasing even from the mouth
of a madman; and censure, as well as praise, often affects us, while we
despise the opinions and motives on which it is founded and expressed.
Ravenswood, abruptly reiterating his command that Alice's funeral should
be attended to, flung away from the sexton, under the painful impression
that the great as well as the small vulgar would think of his engagement
with Lucy like this ignorant and selfish peasant.

"And I have stooped to subject myself to these calumnies, and am
rejected notwithstanding! Lucy, your faith must be true and perfect as
the diamond to compensate for the dishonour which men's opinions, and
the conduct of your mother, attach to the heir of Ravenswood!"

As he raised his eyes, he beheld the Marquis of A----, who, having
arrived at the Tod's Hole, had walked forth to look for his kinsman.

After mutual greetings, he made some apology to the Master for not
coming forward on the preceding evening. "It was his wish," he said,
"to have done so, but he had come to the knowledge of some matters which
induced him to delay his purpose. I find," he proceeded, "there has been
a love affair here, kinsman; and though I might blame you for not
having communicated with me, as being in some degree the chief of your
family----"

"With your lordship's permission," said Ravenswood, "I am deeply
grateful for the interest you are pleased to take in me, but _I_ am the
chief and head of my family."

"I know it--I know it," said the Marquis; "in a strict heraldic and
genealogical sense, you certainly are so; what I mean is, that being in
some measure under my guardianship----"

"I must take the liberty to say, my lord----" answered Ravenswood, and
the tone in which he interrupted the Marquis boded no long duration to
the friendship of the noble relatives, when he himself was interrupted
by the little sexton, who cam puffing after them, to ask if their
honours would choose music at the change-house to make up for short
cheer.

"We want no music," said the Master, abruptly.

"Your honour disna ken what ye're refusing, then," said the fiddler,
with the impertinent freedom of his profession. "I can play, 'Wilt thou
do't again,' and 'The Auld Man's Mear's Dead,' sax times b