n, sensible, cautious, and
canny, whose flaxen hair over its roll had the dead greyness of age,
though the face below was round and dimpled; "young Staneholme drew his
sword last night on the President's son because he speered if he had
skill to tame a goshawk."

"Tak tent, yerself, Janet Erskine," Nelly responded wrathfully; "think
twice ere you wed auld Auchtershiel."

Janet shrank, and her bright blue eye blinked uneasily, but no
additional colour came into her cheek, nor did her voice shake, though
it fell. "It must be, Nelly; I daurna deny my father, and mony mair
drink forby Auchtershiel; and if he cursed his last wife out and in, and
drove her son across the sea, they were thrawn and cankered, and he was
their richtfu' head. I'll speak him fair, and his green haughs are a
braw jointure. But, Nelly, do ye believe that the auld Laird--the auld
ane before Auchtershiel himself, he that shot the Covenanter as he hung
by the saugh over the Spinkie-water, and blasphemed when he
prayed--walks at night on the burn bank?"

"I dinna ken; if I did not fear a livin' sorrow, I would daur a dead
ane," Nelly protested, with a shade of scorn in her levity; "and ye can
bide in the house on the soft summer nights. The Lady of Auchtershiel
need not daunder by the burn side; she can be countin' her house purse
in the still room; but if I were her, I would rather beg my bread."

"Whisht, for shame, Nelly Carnegie," was returned with a shrillness in
the measured tones; "you would not; and ye'll learn yer own task, and
say Yes to sour, dour Staneholme."

"I never will; I'll let myself be starved to death, I'll throttle myself
with my own hands first," cried Nelly Carnegie, fire flashing in her
large eyes and on her dark cheeks; and looking up in her defiance she
met the glow for glow of Staneholme's star. Time-serving Janet Erskine
moved off in unconcealed trepidation, and Nelly stood her ground alone,
stamping her foot upon the boards, and struggling in vain against the
cruel influence which she could not control, and to which she would not
bend.

"He need not gloom and look at me; hearkeners never hear good of
themselves," Nelly thought, with passionate vehemence; but her sparkling
eyes fell slowly, and her proud panting heart quailed with a long throb.

II.--A GALLANT REBUFFED.--NELLY'S PUNISHMENT.

The next time Nelly saw Adam Home was by the landing in the Canongate,
in whose shelter lay the draw-well wherein the proud,