dingly. When he had {p.065} purchased a similar knife, and
produced his name in turn for the engraver, the master cutler eyed the
signature for a moment, and exclaimed, "John Scott of Gala! Well, I
hope your ticket may serve me in as good stead as another Mr. Scott's
has just done. Upon my word, one of my best men, an honest fellow from
the North, went out of his senses when he saw it--he offered me a
week's work if I would let him keep it to himself--and I took
_Saunders_ at his word." Scott used to talk of this as one of the most
gratifying compliments he ever received in his literary capacity.

Their next halt was at Rokeby; but since Scott had heard from thence,
Mrs. Morritt's illness had made such alarming progress, that the
travellers regretted having obtruded themselves on the scene of
affliction, and resumed their journey early next morning.

Reaching Abbotsford, Scott found with his family his old friend Mr.
Skene of Rubislaw, who had expected him to come home sooner, and James
Ballantyne, who had arrived with a copious budget of bills, calendars,
booksellers' letters, and proof sheets. From each of these visitors'
_memoranda_ I now extract an anecdote. Mr. Skene's is of a small
enough matter, but still it places the man so completely before
myself, that I am glad he thought it worth setting down.

"During Scott's absence," says his friend, "his wife had had
the tiny drawing-room of the cottage fitted up with new
chintz furniture,--everything had been set out in the best
style,--and she and her girls had been looking forward to
the pleasure which they supposed the little surprise of the
arrangements would give him. He was received in the spruce
fresh room, set himself comfortably down in the chair
prepared for him, and remained in the full enjoyment of his
own fireside, and a return to his family circle, without the
least consciousness that any change had taken place--until,
at length, Mrs. Scott's patience could hold out no longer,
and his attention was expressly called to it. The vexation
he showed at having caused {p.066} such a disappointment,
struck me as amiably characteristic--and in the course of
the evening he every now and then threw out some word of
admiration to reconsole _mamma_."

Ballantyne's note of their next morning's conference is in these
terms:--

"He had just been reviewing a pageant of emperors and