breaking the temporary silence that prevailed, "Heavens! Albertina is there."

"She is,” replied Lindsay in a loud and firm tone, at the same time assuming an attitude which bespoke a resolute determination to resist, if resistance should become necessary, "She is, and Albertina shall be mine. Dare not to lay hands on her; or I swear by that moon and those stars," pointing to the firmament, "that your life shall be the price of your temerity."

"Lindsay," replied the Chieftain, in a tone in which the sorrowful and the dignified were strikingly blended, "Lindsay, you have saved my life I heartily thank you for it; but to yield up Albertina is too great a return for such a service, valuable as it is. Yet, brave and generous young man, I shall be willing to submit to her decision. Let her say whether she prefers for her husband, Innes or Lindsay, and however agonizing to my feelings her award may prove, I pledge my honour to abide by it."

Conscious of the warmth and constancy of Albertina's attachment to him, Lindsay instantly

consented to his Chieftain's proposal, and both advanced to the disputed fair to hear her decision. During the short absence of Lindsay, her gentle breast had been agitated by a thousand fears for his personal safety; and when she beheld Innes and him approaching together, her beautiful dark-blue eyes were almost bereft of the power of vision, and her agitation was so great as to render the assistance of two of the party necessary to support her. But when Lindsay arrived, and assured her that both she and himself were entirely free from danger, she recovered her usual presence of mind. Lindsay then mentioned in the hearing of the company the engagement into which he and Innes had voluntarily entered. Each then extended his right hand, Lindsay exclaiming aloud,— "Albertina! whose hand do you now accept for life--Innes' or mine?"

Albertina instantly advanced and gently placed her hand in that of Lindsay amid the deafening acclamations of the spectators.

66

May you both enjoy the

greatest possible

felicity this world can afford. You are worthy

of each other! So much bravery and generosity deserve such rare virtue and beauty. The struggle is agonizing, but I have overcome myself," added Innes, evidently labouring under the most painful feelings, while he witnessed Albertina's acceptance of the hand of Lindsay. "Return with me," he continued, "to the castle, and henceforth consider it your home."

The lovers did return with their Chieftain to his princely dome-were married in his presence on the following day-and afterwards lived most happily together till an advanced age. Innes invariably, from the time of their marriage, payed them the most marked attention; and, in return, the gallant Henry Lindsay performed many important services for his Chieftain.

216

RECOLLECTIONS OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.*

I WAS introduced to Sir Walter Scott in 1821. The introduction took place in the house of Mr. D——. Sir Walter was then on one of his visits to the metropolis. Mr. D had asked a party of literary gentlemen to meet Sir Walter at dinner, several of whom, like myself, had never seen him before, though they were among the most ardent of his admirers. I never was a physiognomist. Had I been so at this time, the * It to mention that this paper conmay be proper sists of the "Recollections" of two friends of Sir Walter Scott, but that for the sake of greater convenience they are given as the "Recollections" of one. In the first place they were communicated to the author orally; in the second in manuscript; but in both instances they required not only to be re-arranged, but to be entirely reconstructed on account of the style. In short the facts were furnished the author by others, but the manner of relating them is altogether his own. The author is not aware of any of the facts having before been published.

known highly intellectual character of Sir Walter, contrasted with the expression of his countenance, would at once have shaken my faith in the system, if indeed it had not made me formally renounce it. His face had a remarkably dull appearance, something, in fact, which was calculated to make any person who was a stranger to his intellectual character associate with it the attribute of stupidity. This I know has repeatedly been done where persons have met with Sir Walter without knowing who or what he was. A few minutes' conversation with him, however, was generally found sufficient to rectify the erroneous impression. He had great conversational powers. Perhaps, with the exception of Coleridge, and two or three others, none of his contemporaries excelled him in this respect. His matter was almost invariably racy-his manner pre-eminently pleasing. On the evening in question we sat for at least six hours, during which time the conversation scarcely flagged for a moment. Sir Walter in this, as in almost every other similar case, had a comparative monopoly of the talk. Not, certainly, that

L