d the worst that was now believed of him was, that he was
a gentleman whom troubles, of some kind or other, had driven from the
world.

This favourable change in public opinion regarding him was, in a great
measure, if not, indeed, wholly owing to the regularity of his conduct, the
gentleness of his manners, his generosity--for he was a liberal contributor
to the relief of the necessitous poor in his vicinity--and to the rigid
punctuality he observed in all his pecuniary transactions.

In the family in which he resided, where there were, of course, better
opportunities for judging of his character, and estimating his good
qualities, he came to be much beloved. Adair, as he often said himself,
would "gae through fire and water to serve him;" for a more honourable, or
"discreet" young gentleman, as he also frequently said, "didna breathe the
breath o' existence."

On every other member of the family, the impression he made was equally
favourable; and, on one of them, in particular, we might speak of it in yet
stronger language. But of this anon.

The general conviction into which the family with which Mr Mowbray resided
fell, regarding the personal history of that person, was, that he was a
gentleman who possessed a moderate annuity from some fixed sum, and that
some disgust with the world had driven him into his present retirement; and
in this conviction they had now been so long and so completely settled,
that they firmly believed in its truth, and never after dreamed of again
agitating the question, even in the most distant manner.

Thus, then, stood matters at West Mains at the end of two years from the
period at which our story opens. Hitherto, however, we have only exhibited
what was passing above board. We will now give the reader a peep of certain
little matters that were going on behind the scenes.

A short while previous to the time of which we now speak, Rosy's sister,
Martha, had gone to Edinburgh to spend the winter with a near relative of
her father; partly as a friendly visit, and partly for the purpose of
perfecting herself in certain branches of female education. This separation
was a painful one to the two sisters, for they were much attached to each
other; but they determined to compensate it by maintaining a close and
regular correspondence; and huge was the budget that each soon accumulated
of the other's epistolary performances. Out of these budgets we will select
a couple, which will give the r