surveyed him from head to foot: "so your wife fell in love with you, it seems; well, the more fool she, I never knew any good come of love marriages."

Douglas coloured, while he affected to laugh at this extraordinary address, and withdrawing himself from her scrutiny, resumed his station by the side of his Juliana.

"Now, girls, I must go to my toilette; which of you am I to have for my handmaid? "O! we'll all go," eagerly exclaimed the three nymphs; our dear niece will excuse us for a little; young people are never at a loss to amuse one another."

66

"Venus and the Graces, by Jove!" exclaimed Sir Sampson, bowing with an air of gallantry; "and now I must go and adonise a little myself.'

The company then separated to perform the important offices of the toilette.

CHAPTER X

"Nature here

Wanton'd as in her prime, and played at will
Her virgin fancies."-MILTON,

THE

HE gentlemen were already assembled round the drawing-room fire, impatiently waiting the hour of dinner, when Lady Maclaughlan and her three friends entered. The masculine habiliments of the morning had been exchanged for a more feminine costume. She was now arrayed in a pompadour satin negligée, and petticoat trimmed with Brussels lace. A high starched handkerchief formed a complete breastwork, on which, amid a large bouquet of truly artificial roses, reposed a miniature of Sir Sampson à la militaire. A small fly cap of antique lace was scarcely perceptible on the summit of a stupendous frizzled toupee, hemmed in on each side by large curls. The muff and stick had been relinquished for a large fan, something resembling an Indian screen, which she waved to and fro in one hand, while a vast brocaded workbag was suspended from the other.

"So, Major Douglas, your servant," said she, in answer to the constrained formal bow with which he saluted her on her entrance-" Why, it's so long since I've seen you, that you may be a grandfather for aught I know."

The poor awkward Misses at that moment came

sneaking into the room: "As for you, girls, you'll never be grandmothers, you'll never be married, unless to wild men of the woods. I suppose you'd like that; it would save you the trouble of combing your hair, and tying your shoes, for then you could go without shoes altogether humph! you'd be much better without clothes than to put them on as you do," seizing upon the luckless Miss Baby, as she endeavoured to steal behind backs.

And, here, in justice to the lady, it must be owned, that, for once, she had some grounds for animadversion in the dress and appearance of the Misses Douglas.

They had staid out, running races, and riding on a pony, until near the dinner hour; and, dreading their father's displeasure should they be too late, they had, with the utmost haste, exchanged their thick morning dresses for thin muslin gowns, made by a mantua-maker of the neighbourhood, in the extreme of a two-year-old fashion when waists

were not.

But as dame nature had been particularly lavish in the length of theirs, and the stay-maker had, according to their aunt's direction, given them full measure of their new dark stays, there existed a visible breach between the waists of their gowns and the bands of their petticoats, which they had vainly thought to adjust by a meeting. Their hair had been curled, but not combed, and dark gloves had been hastily drawn on to hide red

arms.

"I suppose," continued the stern Lady Maclaughlan, as she twirled her victim round and round: "I suppose you think yourself vastly smart and well dressed. Yes, you are very neat,

very neat indeed; one would suppose Ben Jonson had you in his eye when he composed that song: Then in a voice like thunder, she chanted forth—

"Give me a look, give me a face
That makes simplicity a grace;
Robes loosely flowing, hair as free,
Such sweet neglect more taketh me.

Miss Grizzy was in the utmost perplexity, between her inclination to urge something in extenuation for the poor girls, and her fear of dissenting from Lady Maclaughlan, or rather of not immediately agreeing with her; she, therefore, steered, as usual, the middle course, and kept saying, "Well, children, really what Lady Maclaughlan says is all very true; at the same time," turning to her friend,- -"I declare it's not much to be wondered at; young people are so thoughtless, poor lambs !

"What's aw this work aboot," said the old gentleman, angrily; "the girlies are weel eneugh; I see naething the matter wi' them-they're no dressed like auld queens, or stage-actresses; and he glanced his eye from Lady Maclaughlan to his elegant daughter-in-law, who just then entered, hanging, according to custom, on her husband, and preceded by Cupid; Mrs. Douglas followed, and the sound of the dinner - bell put a stop to the dispute.

"Come, my leddie, we'll see how the dinner's dressed," said the Laird, as he seized Lady Maclaughan by the tip of the finger, and holding up aloft, they marched into the dining-room.

it

"Permit me, my Lady Juliana Douglas," said the little Baronet, with much difficulty hobbling

towards her, and attempting to take her hand.— "Come, Harry, love; here, Cupid," cried she; and without noticing the enraged Sir Sampson, she passed on, humming a tune, and leaning upon her husband.

"Astonishing! perfectly astonishing ! exclaimed the Baronet; "how a young woman of Lady Juliana's rank and fashion, should be guilty of such a solecism in good breeding."

"She is very young,' ," said Mrs. Douglas, smiling, as he limped along with her, "and you must make allowances for her; but, indeed, I think her beauty must ever be a sufficient excuse for any little errors she may commit, with a person of such taste and gallantry as Sir Sampson Maclaughlan.”

on

The little Baronet smiled, pressed the hand he held; and, soothed by the well-timed compliment, he seated himself next to Lady Juliana with some complacency. As she insisted having her husband on the other side of her, Mr. Douglas was condemned to take his station by the hated Lady Maclaughlan, who, for the first time observing Mrs. Douglas, called to

her.

"Come here, my love; I haven't seen you these hundred years; then seizing her face between her hands, she saluted her in the usual style: "there," at length releasing Mrs. Douglas from her gripe- "there's for I love you you; very much; you're neither a fool, nor a hoyden; you're a fine intelligent being."

Having carefully rolled up, and deposited her gloves in her pocket, she pulled out a pin-cushion, and calling Miss Bella, desired her to pin her