t home settling down to the old life, 'Maria reading Sevigne,' of whom
she never tires.

XIV.

One of the prettiest and most sympathetic incidents in Maria Edgeworth's
life was a subsequent expedition to Abbotsford and the pleasure she gave
to its master. They first met in Edinburgh, and her short account
conjures up the whole scene before us:--

Ten o'clock struck as I read this note. We were tired, we were not
fit to be seen, but I thought it right to accept Walter Scott's
cordial invitation, sent for a hackney coach, and just as we were,
without dressing, we went. As the coach stopped we saw the hall
lighted, and the moment the door opened heard the joyous sounds
of loud singing. Three servants' 'The Miss Edgeworths!' sounded
from hall to landing-place, and as I paused for a moment in the
anteroom I heard the first sound of Walter Scott's voice--'The
Miss Edgeworths _come_!' The room was lighted by only one globe
lamp; a circle were singing loud and beating time: all stopped in
an instant.

Is not this picture complete? Scott himself she describes as 'full of
genius without the slightest effort at expression, delightfully natural,
more lame but not so unwieldy as she expected.' Lady Scott she goes on
to sketch in some half-dozen words--'French, large dark eyes, civil and
good-natured.'

When we wakened the next morning the whole scene of the preceding
night seemed like a dream [she continues]; however at twelve came
the real Lady Scott, and we called for Scott at the Parliament
House, who came out of the Courts with joyous face, as if he had
nothing on earth to do or to think of but to show us Edinburgh.

In her quick, discriminating way she looks round and notes them all one
by one.

Mr. Lockhart is reserved and silent, but he appears to have much
sensibility under this reserve. Mrs. Lockhart is very pleasing--a
slight, elegant figure and graceful simplicity of manner, perfectly
natural. There is something most winning in her affectionate manner
to her father. He dotes upon her.

A serious illness intervened for poor Maria before she and her devoted
young nurses could reach Abbotsford itself. There she began to recover,
and Lady Scott watched over her and prescribed for her with the most
tender care and kindness. 'Lady Scott felt the attention and respect
Maria showed to her, perceiving that she valued her and treated her