in the conversation.

"And wha may ye be that ask sic a question?"

"Only a traveller on the road," said Brace, smiling, as he glanced at
the comely, pleasant-faced female who had just stepped out of the fly;
"but your master and the young lady have just walked on. You have
arrived in capital time, for I fear that she is much shaken. It was a
very rude fall."

"Gudeness save us, Jenny! jump in again, and let's drive on. I'm verra
grateful for your information, sir, and I thank ye."

"Pray make haste, McCray!" cried the pleasant-faced dame, smoothing back
the grey-streaked bands of hair from her forehead.

And the next minute, with the satisfaction of knowing that he had sent
help where it was needed, Brace Norton was standing alone in the road.

He was very thoughtful and serious as he stood there, once more trying
to bring back something of the old history from the past days of his
parents' life; but he soon gave it up as an impossible task, and one
most unsuited for his present place of study. So, assisting the injured
post-boy to mount, upon his reiterated assurance that he could easily
reach home alone, Brace once more stepped up to his own conveyance, and,
very thoughtful and dreamy, slowly continued his journey.

Four miles further on, having purposely kept the post-boy at a slow
rate, Brace overtook the late occupants of the fly, arm-in-arm, and
sturdily trudging on towards Merland, when, rightly concluding that
their places had been taken by Sir Murray and his daughter, Brace
stopped the post-boy, and invited the old Scot and his companion to
share the conveyance.

"Na, na, sir; ye're verra kind, but I'd raither not, and the gudewife
here is of the same opinion. I wish ye a gude day, sir--a gude day.
Ye'll excuse our hurrying on."

There was a something in the man's manner that whispered of
exclusiveness, and a desire to avoid strangers, which checked Brace
Norton in his desire to press his offers of service. He had the good
sense to feel, too, that, with the master so determinedly distant, any
advances toward the servant might be looked upon as an insult. So,
reluctantly giving the order to proceed, the wheels of the chaise spun
round, and the next moment, at a turn of the road, Brace caught a
glimpse of the couple trudging along; when, throwing himself back in the
vehicle, the young man began to ponder upon what was the cause, his
thoughts, too, often being occupied by the faces of his mother