of weakness: I wept sore. It was, I fear, a moment also of wrath. In the bitterness of my spirit I cried aloud, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth." Better thoughts, however, soon succeeded. The storm, in which my frame shook like a reed in the blast, ceased, and there was a great calm. Life seemed to me a vast and gloomy prison, and death an out-gate into the open air, and bright fields of day. While thus engaged, and while these various feelings, like sunshine and shadow, swept across my mind, the bolt of my dungeon door was suddenly drawn, the door thrown open, and a young man of elegant appearance introduced. I rose and bowed.

"have

"Mr. Welwood," said the stranger, you forgotten your old desk companion, Frank Wedderburne?"

"Mr. Wedderburne," I replied, "I had indeed forgotten you. It is now so long since we have met, we were of such different sentiments then, we have followed such different paths since -I have had many unexpected visits since I was consigned to this cell, but none has surprised me more than one from the gay and glittering Francis Wedderburne."

That my being here," said Mr. Wedderburne, "would occasion some surprise, and create some ridicule were it known to the wits of the Parliament House, I admit, Patrick; but why should it surprise you? Your covenanttaking and your conventicle-going I never loved. That I made merry with you oftentimes on these accounts I confess; but I respected and loved you notwithstanding;-and you cannot, I think, have forgot how I stood up for you against Threip

land and Monnypenny, and how I forced them to refrain from breaking their fool-born jests on you, lest I should break their heads. Methinks, then, that my visit to you within the walls even of a prison, should not, after all, be so surprising."

"Your generous interposition, Mr. Wedderburne," I replied, "I have not forgotten; but neither can I forget that I see before me the private secretary of the Duke of Lauderdale, a man who

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'Hush, hush,” said Mr. Wedderburne, “stone walls have ears and tongues. But," lowering his voice, "what if the Duke be a bad man, as you say he is, I am not responsible for his acts: in his hand I am nothing else and nothing more than the pen is in mine. I see you don't agree with me I know what you would say; let this, however, pass, and let me say, that had I not been the Duke's secretary I had not been here." "How that," I inquired.

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You are not aware, perhaps," said he, “that the Duke is at this moment in London."

"In London!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes," said Mr. Wedderburne, "in London, from which I am now arrived, and on your account. You are surprised, but a few words will explain all:-By his severities, as you are aware, the Duke has made himself unpopular in the country. The English House of Commons have presented an address to the king, praying for his removal from the administration of affairs. A party of Scottish whigs, with the Duke of Hamilton, Sir John Cochran, Sir George Lockhart, and Sir John Cunningham, two of our ablest lawyers, have been at court for several weeks, where they have, with the same design,

presented to the king a paper entitled, Some particular Matters of Fact relating to the Administration of Affairs in Scotland under the Duke of Lauderdale.' That paper contains a long detail of what they call, and, I am afraid, justly, his 'oppressions and cruelties.' To watch their movements I left Edinburgh a few weeks ago. They had an interview with the king, which lasted eight hours-from ten to one, and from four to nine in the evening. It was there I met Mr. Innes, and learned from him the occasion of his being at court. The result of all which is, for I hasten over details which you will hear from Mr. Innes, that Lauderdale retains his place, the king having been heard to saythat he had done nothing contrary to his interest and prerogative;' but will find it expedient to pursue a milder policy towards your party. Several of his recent decisions are ordered to be rescinded. Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth, and Lord Cardross are to be set at liberty, and to announce which I have travelled from London without halting night or day-dear Welwood, YOUR LIFE is to be SPARED."

6

They only who have been in my circumstances can understand the feelings which this unlooked for intelligence awakened. The least reflective reader, however, will feel, that on receiving it, I was in no condition to converse with him even who brought it-he will understand my feelings when I say, that I longed to be left alone, that unseen and unheard I might pour forth the emotions of my overburdened heart in the ear of God.

Mr. Wedderburne saw this, and after I had expressed to him, in a few broken words, my sense of his unexpected, and never to be for

gotten kindness, and promising to carry the intelligence of my respite to my mother and my friends at Rowallan Place, he withdrew, and left me to my own meditations.

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CHAPTER XIX.

THE BASS.

Two days after Mr. Wedderburne, Mr. Innes arrived.

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Patrick," said the old man, who was evidently worn out with anxiety and fatigue, "I have been long absent-you must have suffered much. I had greater difficulties to contend with than I imagined. Lauderdale I knew was bent on your destruction. He had said as much to the Chancellor. It is necessary,' said he, 'to strike new terrors into the heart of the nation -we have hitherto been lopping off the hands, let us strike off the head. The time is now come when, by making a few examples, the cause of the Kirk and Covenant may be crushed for ever.' Even after he had reached London, and saw the storm that was rising against him, he persisted in justifying his policy, and in demanding your death. At length, however, judging it unwise to persist in the face of the address from the English Commons, and of the complaints of the Scottish whigs, and knowing that if he did, I had it in my power to bring to light instances of his guilt darker than any that had yet been divulged, he gave way, and consented, as you have heard from Mr. Wedderburne, that you should be reprieved. I pled hard that your pardon should be made absolute, that your estate should be restored, and that