meeting; and the old man bustled about,
embracing and pressing his child, and then surveying, with silent and
intense interest, his grandchildren; taking the oldest on his knee, and
permitting him all manner of intercourse with his wrinkles and his grey
hairs.

One of Lag's troop, the intimate and attached friend of the sergeant, had
conveyed to him, by means of a letter, the fact, that his haunt was
discovered; and that Lag had sworn he would search him out like a fox,--in
short, that he would burn the old tower about his ears. A thought struck
Wilson, that even though he should now escape, the pursuit would still be
continued; but that, if he could by any means persuade his enemies that he
had perished in the flames, the search of course would cease. As he was
occupied with these thoughts, it occurred to him, that, by placing a couple
of pillows, dressed in some old clothes, which were lying about, and which
belonged to the former tenant, in the topmost turret of the tower, he might
impose the belief upon Lag and his party, that he had actually perished in
the flames. Having communicated this plan to his friend in the troop by a
secret messenger, he immediately, and without waiting even to advertise his
wife of the deception, departed, and hastened on to a brother's house in
the neighbourhood of Dumfries, where he lay concealed. By the management of
his friend, the deception was accomplished; for he even swore to the
captain, that he heard Wilson scream, and jump upwards, and then sink down
into the devouring flames. The trial was not unknown to Wilson, and he had
prevailed upon his brother, with a few friends sworn to secrecy, to assist
him in possessing himself of the person of his wife, in going to or coming
from the court-house. Matters, however, succeeded beyond his utmost hopes.
His spouse was liberated, and, by means of a boat well manned, he reached
Douglas in the Isle of Man in safety, in the course of eight-and-forty
hours. There, at last, he was safe, being beyond immediate pursuit, and
indeed being supposed to be dead; and there, by a successful speculation or
two, with money which had been left him by an uncle, after whom he was
named, and who had prospered in the Virginia trade, he soon became
prosperous, and even wealthy. His wife having a natural desire to see her
father, took means to have him apprised of the secret of their retreat. His
visits, nominally to England, were in fact made to Douglas; and th