a letter to Lady Ashton, deprecating
any cause of displeasure which the Master might unintentionally have
given her, enlarging upon his attachment to Miss Ashton, and the length
to which it had proceeded, and conjuring the lady, as a Douglas in
nature as well as in name, generously to forget ancient prejudices and
misunderstandings, and to believe that the family had acquired a friend,
and she herself a respectful and attached humble servant, in him who
subscribed himself, "Edgar, Master of Ravenswood." A third letter
Ravenswood addressed to Lucy, and the messenger was instructed to find
some secret and secure means of delivering it into her own hands. It
contained the strongest protestations of continued affection, and
dwelt upon the approaching change of the writer's fortunes, as chiefly
valuable by tending to remove the impediments to their union. He related
the steps he had taken to overcome the prejudices of her parents,
and especially of her mother, and expressed his hope they might prove
effectual. If not, he still trusted that his absence from Scotland upon
an important and honourable mission might give time for prejudices to
die away; while he hoped and trusted Miss Ashton's constancy, on which
he had the most implicit reliance, would baffle any effort that might
be used to divert her attachment. Much more there was, which, however
interesting to the lovers themselves, would afford the reader neither
interest nor information. To each of these three letters the Master of
Ravenswood received an answer, but by different means of conveyance, and
certainly couched in very different styles.

Lady Ashton answered his letter by his own messenger, who was not
allowed to remain at Ravenswood a moment longer than she was engaged
in penning these lines.

"For the hand of Mr. Ravenswood of Wolf's Crag--These:

"SIR, UNKNOWN:

"I have received a letter, signed 'Edgar, Master of Ravenswood,'
concerning the writer whereof I am uncertain, seeing that the honours of
such a family were forfeited for high reason in the person of Allan,
late Lord Ravenswood. Sir, if you shall happen to be the person so
subscribing yourself, you will please to know, that I claim the full
interest of a parent in Miss Lucy Ashton, which I have disposed of
irrevocably in behalf of a worthy person. And, sir, were this otherwise,
I would not listen to a proposal from you, or any of your house, seeing
their hand has been uniformly held up against the