looks. But there was a gravity in Paul's eye, and something like darkness overspreading his face unfriendly to the merry matter with which his follower was overflowing; and the Galwegian, who had hoped to be questioned, was at last compelled to speak. "Aweel, the cat likes cream and the dog likes broo, as the sly auld sang says, and my plumed and my painted madam maun indulge in her fits of daffin as weel as a kimmer wi' a kirtle o' Kirkcudbright brown." Paul still remained silent, and Macgubb, who had intended to wander in what he called his Moffat road to Glasgow way about his subject, condescended as far as he could to be brief.

"Now, Paul, man, answer me this," said the Galwegian, with a shuffle of his left foot and a serious or assumed embarrassment of manner, “ Paul, man, can a lady, should she wed a man of my degree, take out a patent and make him a lord? Ay or no, now, meet me with nane of your fag-ends of court wit ?"-" In a matter of love," replied Paul," his Majesty will be gracious; and if such is your fortune, Robin, in the matter of the lady, I think the dignity will not be slow of following."-"Ay, now that's an answer prompt and satisfactory. But there's another thing yet,-ken ye ought anent the law of divorce, for the dame of whom I speak has the encumbrance-I should have said the resemblance of a husband-a matrimonial

burr at her gown-tail, ye understand, which mars nae mirth, but which is in the way rather of a second engagement ?"

"It is an awkward plight for true love to be placed in, Robin," said Paul with a smile; "but a lady so considerate as yours might find out a way to a divorce. If she cannot divorce her husband, she may put herself in a situation to oblige him to divorce her,—a spirit of mutual accommodation which sooths the inveterate malady of matrimony, and is by no means scarce.""Bluntly and honestly, how mean you, Paul ?" said his companion; "since you became courtier, man, I cannot get a mouthful of plain homely fireside sense from your lips, how mean ye?""Why, I mean this, Robin, let your dame forget herself in the dark with some charitable friend, and qualify herself for appearing in the consistorial court."-"Aha, man! I take ye now," said the Galwegian with a gleesome chuckle; "a top scheme, and sure of success. Qualify!—a neat, cannie, adroit word. Qualify!—a right pleasant task. I maun mind that word, it's a usable ane. The best of all is, the lady in question has foreseen this upshot, and qualified,-nature points out the proper remedy after all. But, O man! what it is to be a scholar-plain Mull or mother wit would never have learned me that useful word, qualify."

"A truce with this idle levity," said Paul; " I am in no mood to relish jests, and this seems both

a long and a dull one."-" It's dull since it's mine, you mean," replied Macgubb," and it's lang because I'm the relater on't; yet it's no joke after all, but as true as that the sea obeys the moon. Plague on the errand that took me out of the sweet sough of the sea-breeze! for I'm as dull as a seamew in fog, and a piece of roguish fun comes nae mair twanging from my tongue."-" Well now, Robin," said Paul," this nut which you have been so long in cracking surely has a kernel."—" Ay, in good faith has it, and a bitter kernel it is. Let us hoist sail and begone-a' the baboons of the house of Bourbon and the lasses of light haveance in France couldna draw the kale-blade owre our een on deck. The court deceives you, the courtiers mock you, the ladies are weary of you, and your only jo and dearie, the Dutchess of Hourieflam, has qualified herself, Paul, lad, with some charitable friend; a come up the back-stairs when ye come to courtme sort of customer. Sae return to the deck an' ye be wise; we walk kings and prime ministers on the great deep, but on the dry sod or the flowered carpet we are befooled by boobies and besoms." "Much of what you say, Macgubb," answered Paul," I know to be true; my spirit sinks and my presence of mind decays on dry land. For the evasions of the court there is a remedy; for the mockery of the courtiers and the disdain of the ladies there is a remedy too; and the mistake of our fair Dutchess will neither lose her the counte

nance of the court nor the love of her husband. There is a much more liberal intercourse between the sexes in this favoured land than your Galloway wisdom wots of. So then your matrimonial query was designed for my benefit ?"—" You shall judge from my story," said his follower, "whether I meant it for your use or mine. Aweel, I gaed to her house, gae yon black-browed damosel of hers a cannie word and a kiss,-up the back-stairs went I,through the room where she sits and squeals to the harp,-opened her chamber-door, and there was madam fu' red and fu' rosie,-and there saw I a meikle man where nae man should be. Blessing on the fag-ends of auld sangs! they help me to tell a daft tale. Aweel, but hist; I hear a step. Weel, an ye think sae, I'm sure it maun be sae; but I prefer gude English powder for driving an eighteen-pounder to all that was ever made in France. It has nae the spunk of the Battel powder, --it's passable on land,-ought will do there, but on the sea, commend me to British black-grain.”

66

Spoken like a maritime oracle," said the Dutchess of Oriflame, appearing before them as she spoke in a new and splendid dress; "spoken like a maritime oracle, my good Galwegian; I owe you something for that speech; it smacks of your little island, and this purse of gold is not enough for one whom I admire so entirely for his courage and discretion." Macgubb's fingers closed readily round the gold, and he retired a step or two.

"Come now, Chevalier Jones, come with me to court, the very parrots have learnt to name your name,―the Queen is sick to see you, and her physician will serve you up in a prescription for her ease and comfort unless you hasten. You have remained at home for three days and nights, and the court ladies are all as dull and drowsy as if the Bishop of Paris had preached."

To the court Paul accordingly went; he had that morning formed the resolution to which the Dutchess urged him; he found many courtiers assembled around Landais and Ricot. The sunshine of royal favour had shifted from Paul and fallen on them, and, taking advantage of their good fortune, they filled the court with details of the battle between them and the English little to the advantage of Paul, and very favourable to their own conduct. As Paul advanced he heard the voice of de Winton say, "Come, that I cannot credit. What! a Scottish man resolve to yield -raise his hands to strike the colours, and tremble when ye stood firm! I have credited little ye have said, and that the least of all."-" I thank you, noble Seton, for your good opinion," said Paul; and then confronting his former companions, thus addressed them :—" Gentlemen, as commander of the squadron, I have published an account, a correct one, verified by my officers, of the engagement between the English and me. In the presence of the nobles and monarch of