n appearance of the most
affectionate maternal tenderness. The manner was for Bucklaw, who was
easily enough imposed upon; the matter of the exhortation was for the
terrified Lucy, who well knew how to interpret her mother's hints,
however skilfully their real purport might be veiled from general
observation.

Miss Ashton sat upright in her chair, cast round her a glance in which
fear was mingled with a still wilder expression, but remained perfectly
silent. Bucklaw, who had in the mean time paced the room to and fro,
until he had recovered his composure, now stopped within two or three
yards of her chair, and broke out as follows: "I believe I have been a
d--d fool, Miss Ashton; I have tried to speak to you as people tell me
young ladies like to be talked to, and I don't think you comprehend
what I have been saying; and no wonder, for d--n me if I understand it
myself! But, however, once for all, and in broad Scotch, your father and
mother like what is proposed, and if you can take a plain young fellow
for your husband, who will never cross you in anything you have a mind
to, I will place you at the head of the best establishment in the three
Lothians; you shall have Lady Girnington's lodging in the Canongate of
Edinburgh, go where you please, do what you please, and see what you
please--and that's fair. Only I must have a corner at the board-end for
a worthless old playfellow of mine, whose company I would rather want
than have, if it were not that the d--d fellow has persuaded me that I
can't do without him; and so I hope you won't except against Craigie,
although it might be easy to find much better company."

"Now, out upon you, Bucklaw," said Lady Ashton, again interposing;
"how can you think Lucy can have any objection to that blunt, honest,
good-natured creature, Captain Craigengelt?"

"Why, madam," replied Bucklaw, "as to Craigie's sincerity, honesty, and
good-nature, they are, I believe, pretty much upon a par; but that's
neither here nor there--the fellow knows my ways, and has got useful to
me, and I cannot well do without him, as I said before. But all this is
nothing to the purpose; for since I have mustered up courage to make a
plain proposal, I would fain hear Miss Ashton, from her own lips, give
me a plain answer."

"My dear Bucklaw," said Lady Ashton, "let me spare Lucy's bashfulness.
I tell you, in her presence, that she has already consented to be guided
by her father and me in this matter. Lucy,