"Very true," replied Mordaunt; "but have you heard of no strange vessels on the coast?"

"Six Dutch doggers off Brassa; and, as I hear, a high-quartered galliot thing, with a gaff mainsail, lying in Scalloway Bay. She will be for Norway." "No ships of war, or sloops?" "None," replied the pedler, since the Kite Tender sailed with the impress men. If it was His will, and our men were out of her, I wish the deep sea had her."

"Were there no news at Burgh-Westra?-Were the family all well?"

"A' weel, and weel to do-out-taken it may be, something ower muckle daffing and laughingdancing ilk night, they say, wi' the stranger captain that's living there he that was ashore on Sumburgh-head the tother day,-less daffing served him then."

“Daffing! dancing every night!" said Mordaunt, not particularly well satisfied." Whom does Captain Cleveland dance with?"

"Ony body he likes, I fancy," said the jagger; "at ony rate, he gars a' body yonder dance after his fiddle. But I ken little about it, for I am no free in conscience to look upon thae flinging_fancies. Folk should mind that life is made but of rot

"I fancy that it is to keep them in mind of that wholesome truth, that you deal in such tender wares, Bryce," replied Mordaunt, dissatisfied as well with the tenor of the reply, as with the affected scruples of the respondent.

"That's as muckle as to say, that I suld hae minded you was a flinger and a fidler yoursell, Master Mordaunt; but I am an auld man, and maun unburthen my conscience. But ye will be for the dance, I sall warrant, that's to be at Burgh-Westra, on John's Even, (Saunt John's, as the blinded creatures ca' him;) and nae doubt ye will be for some

worldly braws-hose, waistcoats, or sic like. I hae pieces frae Flanders."-With that he placed his moveable ware house on thetable, and began to unlock it.

"Dance!" repeated Mordaunt-" Dance on St. John's even?-Were you desired to bid me to it, Bryce?"

"Na-but ye ken weel eneugh ye wad be welcome, bidden or no bidden. This captain, howca'-ye-him, is to be skudler as they ca't-the first of the gang, like."

"The devil take him!" said Mordaunt, in impatient surprise.

rant

"A' in gude time," replied the jagger; "hurry no man's cattle-the devil will hae his due, I warye, or it winna be for lack of seeking. But it's true I'm telling you, for a' ye stare like a wild cat; and this same captain, I-wat-na-his-name, bought ane of the very waistcoats that I am ganging to show ye-purple, wi' a gowd binding, and bonnily broidered; and I have a piece for you, the neighbour of it, wi' a green grund, and if ye mean to streak yoursell up beside him, ye maun e'en buy it, for it's gowd that glances in the lasses' een now-adays. See, look till't," he added, displaying the pattern in various points of view; "look till it through the light, and till the light through it-wi' the grain, and against the grain-it shows ony gate -cam frae Antwerp a' the gate-four dollars is the price; and yon captain was sae weel pleased, that he flang down a twenty shilling Jacobus, and bade me keep the change and be damned!-poor silly profane creature; I pity him."

Without inquiring whether the pedlér bestowed his compassion on the worldly imprudence or the religious deficiencies of Captain Cleveland, Mordaunt turned from him, folded his arms, and paced the apartment, muttering to himself, "Not asked -A stranger to be king of the feast!"-Words

which he repeated so earnestly, that Bryce caught a part of their import.

"As for asking, I am almaist bauld to say, that ye will be asked, Master Mordaunt."

"Did they mention my name then?" said Mordaunt.

"I canna preceesely say that," said Bryce Snailfoot; "but ye needna turn away your head so sourly, like a sealgh when he leaves the shore, for, do you see, I heard distinctly that a' the revellers about are to be there; and is't to be thought they would leave out you, an auld ken'd freend, and the lightest foot at sic frolics, (Heaven send you a better praise in His ain gude time,) that ever flang at a fiddlesqueak, between this and Unst? sae I consider ye altogether the same as invited-and ye had best provide yourself wi' a waistcoat, for brave and brisk will every man be that's there-the Lord pity,

them!"

He thus continued to follow with his green glazen eyes the motions of young Mordaunt Mertoun, who continued to pace the room in a very pensive manner, which the jagger probably misinterpreted, as he thought like Claudio, that if a man is sad, it must needs be because he lacks money. Bryce, therefore, after another pause, thus accosted him. "Ye needna be sad about the matter, Master Mordaunt; for although I got the just price of the article from the captain-man, yet I maun deal freend ly wi' you as a ken'd freend and customer, and bring the price, as they say, within your purse mouth-or it's the same to me to let it lie ower till Martinmas, or e'en to Candlemas. I am decent in the warld, Master Mordaunt-forbid that I should hurry onybody, far mair a freend that has paid me siller afore now. Or I wad be content to swap the garment for the value in feathers or sea-otters skins, or any kind of peltrie-nane kens better than yoursell how to come by sic ware-and I am sure I hae

furnished you wi' the primest o' powder. I dinna ken if I tell'd ye it was out o' the kist of Captain Plunket, that perished on the Scaw of Unst, wi' the armed brig Mary, sax years syne. He was a prime fowler himself, and luck it was that the kist came ashore dry. I sell that to nane but gude marksmen. And so, I was saying, if ye had ony wares ye liked to coup for the waistcoat, I wad be ready to trock wi' you, for assuredly ye will be wanted at Burgh-Westra, on Saint John's even; and ye wadna like to look waur than the captainthat wadna be setting."

"I will be there, at least, whether wanted or not," said Mordaunt, stopping short in his walk, and taking the waistcoat piece hastily out of the pedler's hand; "and, as you say, will not disgrace them."

"Haud a care-haud a care, Master Mordaunt," exclaimed the pedler; "ye handle it as it were a bale of coarse wadmaal-ye'll fray't to bits-ye might weel say my ware is tender-and ye'll mind the price is four dollars-Shall I put ye in my book

for it?"

"No," said Mordaunt hastily; and, taking out his purse he flung down the money.

"Grace to ye to wear the garment," said the joyous pedler," and to me to guide the siller; and protect us from earthly vanities, and earthly covetousness; and send you the white linen raiment, whilk is mair to be desired than the muslins, and cambrics, and lawns, and silks of this world; and send me the talents which avail more than much fine Spanish gold, or Dutch dollars either-andbut God guide the callant, what for are ye wrapping the silk up that gate, like a wisp of hay?"

At this moment, old Swertha, the housekeeper, entered, to whom, as if eager to get rid of the subject, Mordaunt threw his purchase, with something like careless disdain; and, telling her to put it aside,

snatched his gun, which stood in the corner, threw his shooting accoutrements about him, and without noticing Bryce's attempt to enter into conversation upon the "braw seal-skin, as saft as doe-leather," which made the sling and cover of his fowling-piece, he left the apartment abruptly.

The jagger, with those green goggling and gaindescrying kind of optics, which we have already - described, continued gazing for an instant after the customer, who treated his wares with such ir

reverence.

Swertha also looked after him with some surprise. The callant's in a creel," quoth she.

"In a creel!" echoed the pedler, "he will be as wowf as ever his father was. To guide in that gate a bargain that cost him four dollars-very, very Fifish, as the east-country fisher-folks say."

"Four dollars for that green rag!" said Swertha, catching at the words which the jagger had unwarily suffered to escape" that was a bargain indeed! I wonder whether he is the greater fule, or you the mair rogue, Bryce Snailsfoot."

"I didna say it cost him preceesely four dollars," said Snailsfoot; "but if it had, the lad's siller's his ain, I hope; and he is auld eneugh to make his ain bargains. Mair by token, the gudes are weel worth the money, and mair."

"Mair by token," said Swertha coolly, "I will see what his father thinks about it."

"Ye'll no be sae ill-natured, Mrs. Swertha, said the jagger; "that will be but cauld thanks for the bonny owerlay that I hae brought you a' the way frae Lerwick."

"And a bonnie price ye'll be setting on't," said Swertha; for that's the gate your good deeds

end."

"Ye sall hae the fixing of the price yoursell; or it may lie ower till you're buying something for