making market for themselves; I suspect they go there to pick up any news that may be going. How do you do, Miss Macdonald? Miss Nettles, you are really looking beautiful. It's well seen why Captain Splatter has changed his seat in the church; it seems he could not see you from his old one. Jenny Soapysapples told me just this minute that he was in a dreadful rage at her for not sending home his nankeens on Saturday night!"

Indeed, Mrs Smellarat-" said Miss Nettles.

"Well, well," interrupted Mrs Smellarat, "I shall say no more about it. I suppose we shall all hear of it in good time. It will be great news for Mrs Barton, who, poor silly body, has taken it into her head that you expect to step into her shoes. Some ill-natured person told her, it seems, that you said she looked very ill, and that you were sure she would never see another summer."

"Me step into her shoes!" retorted the

offended lady; "I wonder what I would get by that? A doited old man, and half a dozen ill-brought-up bairns to take care of. If she was dead the morn, I would never look the road Mr Barton was on."

"That's just what I told her," replied Mrs Smellarat. "Indeed,' says I, Miss Jenny Nettles has too sharp an eye to her own interest ever to marry Mr Barton; besides,' says I, 'I'm pretty certain she's making up to a gentleman that will be a much better match; and though I think there's little chance of her succeeding, yet her mind being carried that way, will prevent her from watching every cough you give;' and so I got her pacified. But have any of you heard of the pretty clamjamphry old Dozy has got in his house ?"

"No," answered Miss Macdonald ; "I did not know he had got it let."

"If things are as I suspect," replied Mrs Smellarat," it would have been better for him if it was empty at this day. It is certainly at the best a very mysterious affair."

"Oh!" said Miss Macdonald, "do let us turn up Rosefield lane, and tell us all about it." And the lady graciously condescended to comply with this request.

"Now, ladies,” said Mrs Smellarat, “recollect that this is to go no farther, for I may be mistaken, though I must say I think the chance very small. You must know, then, that a lady and gentleman, giving themselves out to be brother and sister, have taken old Dozy's house; but it seems there are very strong suspicions that they stand in a very different relationship with each other; and Jenny Soapysapples, who goes in to help the laundry maid, says that he worships the very ground she treads on, that he makes a most shameful fuss about her, and that he keeps two or three men employed running up to Edinburgh at all hours of the day for every kind of pastry and fruit. I suppose it was him who gave fifteen shillings the pint for the first strawberries that came in. I leave you, ladies, to judge whe

ther these are very like the attentions of a brother."

"The thing is quite plain," replied Miss Macdonald." No rational person can have any doubt on the subject. Really Mr Dozy ought to be more cautious; he can scarcely expect ever to let the house again, if this sad affair becomes known, which is more than likely, for these things do spunk out, nobody knows how."

"What strengthens the suspicion," rejoined Mrs Smellarat," is, that there is not the least family resemblance between them; he is very dark, and she, it seems, is remarkably fair."

"I have seen them," exclaimed Miss Nettles; "I met them on the sands last night. He is tall, and as black as a Jew; and she had as much fair hair dangling over her nose as would have fitted out ten barbers' blocks. I was wondering who they were. I'm sure her gown could not be less than seven guineas; and he was carrying a mantle for her which would come to double

that sum, which shows that money is plenty. But these sort of gentry want for nothing."

"It must just have been them; but did you not see them go into Dozy's house?" "No; I walked behind them for a while, and just as they turned up one of the streets, Mrs Bletherem joined me, and before I could get quit of her they had both disappeared; but I think there can be no doubt of their being Dozy's tenants."

Really," said Mrs Smellarat, "I think I shall give him a friendly hint of the kind of people who have palmed themselves on him; it is ten to one if he ever gets a shilling of his rent. His tenants may very likely make a moonlight flitting, when they find it necessary to change their quarters."

"There's no chance of seeing Dozy at present, for he is laid up with a fit of rheumatism, and his sister will let nobody come near him."

"And," replied Miss Nettles, "folks say she is dreadfully afraid of his marrying. I