have stripped the thatch from seven cottages, see that the roof-tree of your own house stand the surer!"

Restore," he cried, "restore my bairn! bring me back iny son, and all shall be forgot and forgiven !" As he uttered these words in a sort of frenzy, his eye caught a glimmering of light in one of the dismantled cottages-it was that in which Meg Merrilies formerly resided. The light, which seemed to proceed from fire, glimmered not only through the window, but also through the rafters of the hut where the roofing had been torn off.

He flew to the place; the entrance was bolted; despair gave the miserable father the strength of ten men; he rushed against the door with such violence that it gave way before the momentum of his weight and force. The cottage was empty, but bore marks of recent habitation— there was fire on the hearth, a kettle, and some preparation for food. As he eagerly

gazed around for something that might confirm his hope that his child yet lived, although in the power of those strange people, a man entered the hut.

It was his old gardener. "O sir!" said the old man, "such a night as this I trust ed never to live to see !-ye maun come to the Place directly!"

"Is my boy found? is he alive? have ye found Harry Bertram? Andrew, have ye found Harry Bertram ?"

"Then he is kidnapped! I am sure of it, Andrew! as sure as that I tread upon earth! She has stolen him-and I will ne yer stir from this place till I have tidings of my bairn!"

"O, but ye maun come hame, sir! ye maun come hame!-We have sent for the sheriff, and we'll set a watch here a' night, in case the gypsies return; but you-ye maun come hame, sir,for my lady's in the dead-thraw."

Bertram turned a stupified and unmeaning eye on the messenger who uttered. this calamitous news; and, repeating the words" in the dead-thraw!" as if he could not comprehend their meaning, suff ered the old man to drag him towards his horse. During the ride home, he only said, "Wife and bairn, baith-mother and son, baith-Sair, sair to abide !"

It is needless to dwell upon the new scene of agony which awaited him. The news of Kennedy's fate had been eagerly and incautiously communicated at Ellangowan, with the gratuitous addition, that, doubtless," he had drawn the young Laird over the craig with him, though the tide had swept away the child's body-he was light, puir thing, and would flee farther into the surf."

Mrs Bertram heard the tidings; she was far advanced in her pregnancy; she fell into the pains of premature labour, and, ere Ellangowan had recovered his agita

ted faculties, so as to comprehend the full distress of his situation, he was the father of a female infant, and a widower.

CHAPTER X.

But see, his face is black, and full of blood;
His eye-balls farther out than when he lived,
Staring full ghastly like a strangled man ;

His hair uprear'd, his nostrils stretch'd with struggling,
His hands abroad display'd, as one that gasp'd

And tugg'd for life, and was by strength subdued.

Henry IV. Part First.

THE Sheriff-depute of the county arrived at Ellangowan next morning by daybreak. To this provincial magistrate the law of Scotland assigns judicial powers of considerable extent, and the task of enquiring into all crimes committed within his jurisdiction, the apprehension and commitment of suspected persons, and so forth.

The gentleman who held the office in the shire of at the time of this catastrophe, was well born and well educated;