'If I were disposed to jest at the calamities of my house,' said Ravenswood, as he led the way up stairs,' poor old Caleb would furnish me with ample means. His passion consists in representing things about our miserable menage, not as they are, but as, in his opinion, they ought to be; and, to say the truth, I have been often diverted by the poor wretch's expedients to supply what he thought was essential for the credit of the family, and his still more generous apologies for the want of those articles for which his ingenuity could discover no substitute. But though the tower is none of the largest, I shall have some trouble without him to find the apartment in which there is a fire.'

As he spoke thus, he opened the door of the hall. Here, at least,' he said, 'there is neither hearth nor harbour.'

It was indeed a scene of desolation. A large vaulted room, the beams of which, combined like those of Westminster-Hall, were rudely carved at the extremities, remaining nearly in the situation in which it had been left after the entertainment at Allan lord Ravenswood's funeral. Overturned pitchers, and black jacks, and pewter stoups, and flagons, still cumbered the large oaken table; glasses, those more perishable implements of conviviality, many of which had been voluntarily sacrificed by the guests in their enthusiastic pledges to favourite toasts, strewed the stone floor with their fragments. As for the articles of plate, lent for the purpose by friends and kinsfolks, those had been carefully withdrawn so soon as the ostentatious display of festivity, equally unnecessary and strangely timed, had been made and ended. Nothing, in short, remained that indicated wealth; all the signs were those of recent wastefulness, and present desolation. The black cloth hangings, which, on the late mournful occasion, replaced the tattered motheaten tapestries, had been partly pulled down, and, dangling from the wall in irregular festoons, disclosed the rough stone-work of the building, unsmoothed either by plaster or hewn stone. The seats thrown down, or left in disorder, intimated the careless confusion which had concluded the mournful revel. This room,' said Ravenswood, holding up the lamp-' this room, Mr. Hayston, was riotous when it should have been sad; it is a just retribution that it should now be sad when it ought to be cheerful.'

They left this disconsolate apartment, and went up stairs, where, after opening one or two doors in vain, Ravenswood led the way into a little matted anti-room, in which, to their great joy, they found a tolerably good fire, which Mysie, by some such expedient as Caleb had suggested, had supplied with a reasonable quantity of fuel. Glad at the heart to see more of comfort than the castle had yet seemed to offer, Bucklaw rubbed his hands heartily over the fire, and now listened with more complacence to the apologies which the master of Ravenswood offered. Comfort,' he says, 'I cannot provide for you, for I have it not for myself; it is long since these walls have known it. Shelter and safety, I think, I can promise you.'

门

6

'Excellent matters, master,' replied Bucklaw, and, with a mouthful of food and wine, positively all I can require to-night.' 'I fear,' said the master, your supper will be a poor one; I hear the matter in discussion betwixt Caleb and Mysie. Poor Balderston is something deaf, amongst his other accomplishments, so that much of what he means should be spoken aside, is overheard by the whole audience, and especially by those from whom he is most anxious to conceal his private manœuvres-Hark!'

They listened and heard the old domestic's voice in conversation with Mysie to the following effect. Just mak the best o't, mak the best o't, woman; it's easy to put a fair face on ony thing.' "But the auld brood-hen?-she'll be as teugh as bow-strings and bend-leather.'

'Say ye made a mistake-say ye made a mistake, Mysie,' replied the faithful seneschal, in a soothing and undertoned voice; tak it a' on yoursel; never let the credit o' the house suffer.'

'But the brood-hen,' remonstrated Mysie,- ou, she's sitting some gate aneath the dais in the hall, and I am feared to gae in in the dark for the bogle; and if I didna see the bogle, I could as ill see the hen, for it's pit mirk, and there's no another light in the house, save that blessed lamp whilk the master has in his ain hand. And if I had the hen, she's to pu', and to draw, and to dress; how can I do that, and them sitting by the only fire we have??

、

Weel, weel, Mysie,' said the butler, bide ye there a wee, and I'll try to get the lamp wiled away frae them."

Accordingly, Caleb Balderston entered the apartment, little aware that so much of his bye-play had been audible there. Well, Caleb, my old friend, is there any chance of supper?' said the master of Ravenswood.

Chance of supper, your lordship?' said Caleb with an emphasis of strong scorn at the implied doubt,- How should there be ony question of that, and we in your lordship's house?-Chance of supper, indeed!-But ye'll no be for butcher-meat? There's walth o' fat poultry, ready either for spit or brander-The fat capon, Mysie,' he added, calling out as boldly as if such a thing had been in existence.

'Quite unnecessary,' said Bucklaw, who deemed himself bound in courtesy to relieve some part of the anxious butler's perplexity, if you have any thing cold, or a morsel of bread.'

'The best of bannocks!' exclaimed Caleb, much relieved; and, for cauld meat, a' that we hae is cauld aneugh,--howbeit maist of the cauld meat and pastry was gi'en to the poor folk after the ceremony of interment, as gude reason was; nevertheless'

'Come, Caleb,' said the master of Ravenswood, I must cut this matter short. This is the young laird of Bucklaw; he is under hiding, and therefore you know'

'He'll be nae nicer than your lordship's honour, I’se warrant,' answered Caleb, cheerfully, with a nod of intelligence; ' I am sorry that the gentleman is under distress, but I am blyth that he

canna say muckle again our house-keeping, for I believe his ain pinches may match ours;--no that we are pinched, thank God,' he added, retracting the admission which he had made in his first burst of joy, but nae doubt we are waur aff than we hae been, or suld be. And for eating,--what signifies telling a lie? there's just the hinder end of the mutton ham that has been but three times on the table, and the nearer the bane the sweeter, as your honours weel ken; and--there's the heel of the ewe milk kebbuck, wi' a bit of nice butter, and--and--and that's a' that's to trust to.' And with great alacrity he produced his slender stock of provisions, and placed them with much formality upon a small round table betwixt the two gentlemen, who were not deterred either by the homely quality or limited quantity of the repast from doing it full justice. Caleb in the mean while waited on them with grave officiousness, as if anxious to make up, by his own respectful assiduity, for the want of all other attendance.

But alas! how little on such occasions can form, however anxiously and scrupulously observed, supply the lack of substantial fare! Bucklaw, who had eagerly eat a considerable portion of the thrice sacked mutton ham, now began to demand ale.

'I wadna just presume to recommend our ale,' said Caleb;' the maut was ill made, and there was awfu' thunner last week; but siccan water as the tower well has, ye'll seldom see, Bucklaw, and that I'se engage for.'

But if your ale is bad you can let us have some wine,' said Bucklaw, making a grimace at the mention of the pure element which Caleb so earnestly recommended.

'Wine!' answered Caleb undauntedly, 'eneugh of wine; it was but twa days syne--waes me for the cause-there was as much drunk in this house as would have floated a pinnace. There never was lack of wine at Wolf's Crag.'

'Do fetch us some then,' said his master, instead of talking about it.' And Caleb boldly departed.

Every expended butt in the old cellar did he set atilt and shake with the desperate expectation of collecting enough of the grounds of claret to fill the large pewter measure which he carried in his hand. Alas! each had been too devoutly drained; and, with all the squeezing and manœuvring which his craft as a butler suggested, he could only collect about half a quart that seemed presentable. Still, however, Caleh was too good a general to renounce the field without a stratagem to cover his retreat. He undauntedly threw down an empty flagon, as if he had stumbled at the entrance of the apartment; called upon Mysie to wipe up the wine that had never been spilt, and placing the other vessel on the table, hoped there was still enough left for their honours. There was indeed; for even Bucklaw, a sworn friend to the grape, found no encouragement to renew his first attack upon the vintage of Wolf's Crag, but contented himself, however reluctantly, with a draught of fair water. Arrangements were now made for his repose; and as the

secret chamber was assigned for this purpose, it furnished Caleb with a first-rate and most plausible apology for all deficiencies of furniture, bedding, &c.

'For wha,' said he,' would have thought of the secret chaumer being needed? it has not been used since the time of the Gowrie conspiracy, and I durst never let a woman ken of the entrance to it, or your honour will allow that it wad not hae been a secret chaumer lang.'

ART. XIII.-Notoria.