let the name of Morton sleep till better days."

"Thus began my fortune," continued Morton; "and my services have, on
various occasions, been distinguished by his Royal Highness, until the
moment that brought him to Britain as our political deliverer. His
commands must excuse my silence to my few friends in Scotland; and I
wonder not at the report of my death, considering the wreck of the
vessel, and that I found no occasion to use the letters of exchange with
which I was furnished by the liberality of some of them,--a circumstance
which must have confirmed the belief that I had perished."

"But, dear hinny," asked Mrs. Wilson, "did ye find nae Scotch body at the
Prince of Oranger's court that kend ye? I wad hae thought Morton o'
Milnwood was kend a' through the country."

"I was purposely engaged in distant service," said Morton, "until a
period when few, without as deep and kind a motive of interest as yours,
Ailie, would have known the stripling Morton in Major-General Melville."

"Malville was your mother's name," said Mrs. Wilson; "but Morton sounds
far bonnier in my auld lugs. And when ye tak up the lairdship, ye maun
tak the auld name and designation again."

"I am like to be in no haste to do either the one or the other, Ailie,
for I have some reasons for the present to conceal my being alive from
every one but you; and as for the lairdship of Milnwood, it is in as good
hands."

"As gude hands, hinny!" re-echoed Ailie; "I'm hopefu' ye are no meaning
mine? The rents and the lands are but a sair fash to me. And I'm ower
failed to tak a helpmate, though Wylie Mactrickit the writer was very
pressing, and spak very civilly; but I 'm ower auld a cat to draw that
strae before me. He canna whilliwhaw me as he's dune mony a ane. And then
I thought aye ye wad come back, and I wad get my pickle meal and my soup
milk, and keep a' things right about ye as I used to do in your puir
uncle's time, and it wad be just pleasure eneugh for me to see ye thrive
and guide the gear canny. Ye'll hae learned that in Holland, I'se
warrant, for they're thrifty folk there, as I hear tell.--But ye'll be
for keeping rather a mair house than puir auld Milnwood that's gave; and,
indeed, I would approve o' your eating butchermeat maybe as aften as
three times a-week,--it keeps the wind out o' the stamack."

"We will talk of all this another time," said Morton, surprised at the
generosity upon a large scale which mingled in Ailie's thought