betha of Glammis deprived of life a being forined in the image of the great Creator! Madness lies that way. I must turn from it, or lose

"I recovered; I inquired for my destined husband: to see him I could not bear; but I wished to be assured of his welfare: he had retired to a foreign convent. foreign convent. I followed his example; but preferred my own coun try, and the Abbess of Vallis Lucis had been the most valued companion of my mother. My demeanour was regarded as edifying. I was appointed to officiate for, and then succeeded to the place of, our superannuated abbess. The penalty of innocent blood was yet to be paid. In the famine, Vallis Lucis relieved a multitude of the distressed. Our benefactions drew applicants from all quarters. One friar, graceful and dignified even in a coarse religious habit, and emaciated by the austerities of his order, followed by want of common necessaries-this friar attracted my notice while I attended to dispense a portion to each individual. I had given him bread from my hand, and after it a benediction: one morsel had passed his lips; he started at my voice, as though a viper had stung him to the seat of life, or an excess of joy overpowered him, I know not which: yet I would expire in peace to be assured whether abhorrence or tenderness laid him in

where, till his demise, I was obliged to remain. Returning an orphan, I found Patrick Dunbar, believing me unfaithful, had been eleven months a husband, and four weeks a widow-myself for ever. er. His lady died in childbed of a son. Our fathers were dead; our brothers reconciled; our hearts reverted to former emotions. Patrick Dunbar sought the hand of his unaltered Innerbetha. In five days our nuptials were to be solemnized. The lovely infant, born of the first marriage, was dear to me as though I had been his natural mother; fondly cherished by caresses, he would cling to my neck wherever he saw me. The parent of my bridegroom was in hopeless malady; I was paying my duty to her: she desired to live only to witness my union with her son; he, ever tenderly assiduous, gave me his welcome support in descending a steep staircase; the nurse and child were ascending: the beloved innocent caught my flowing curls, that waved in the air rushing through a narrow passage. I took him in my arms, kissed him again and again with all a mother's delight in his sportive graces; then stood listening to his father, who hung over us enamoured. My lover had dismissed the nurse; his arm encircled my waist; his cheek was close to mine: the babe leaped and crowed, as transported with joy in this blending of our wedded souls. Wilmina, how shall my lips express the dreadful transi-sensible: he breathed no more. tion from the purest rapture to distracting agonies! With a sudden spring, the charmer fell from my hands on the stone steps of the stair-his brains lay scattered at my feet. I swooned. Years of mental disease punished my heedless yet not wil- was a Scot, returning to die in his ful crime. Yes, Wilmina, InnerYes, Wilmina, Inner-own father-land. The voice of In

On

his person were found papers, importing that this wanderer was my once loved Patrick Dunbar. An Italian friar, who accompanied him, said, he was known at Ravenna by the name of Father Agonisto; but he

nerbetha arrested the spring of vitality, fatal alike to parent and child. Wilmina, leave, leave a wretch! I must not be seen thus."

Wilmina moved away, and in her chamber offered thanksgiving to God that her afflictions were exempted from circumstances of horror. The abbess did not appear till the ensuing day. Though calm and collected in her deportment, her look had anguish and even wildness when she sunk into reverie. The day as usual wore away in the offices of religion. The evening was giving place to night. Wilmina withdrew to her chamber; the abbess met her at the door, and entered, carefully turning the lock. Wilmina reverently waited to be informed of her pleasure. She said, "Set your lamp on the stone table. Extinguish it. Mine suffices."

1

ed:

The abbess paused and resum

prosperous years on earth, may in heaven rejoice through all eternity. There are not wanting enemies to Drummond. They make a pretext of his lifting the sword against the faithful, who in arms opposed a robbery of the sanctuaries by the sacrilegious Henry of England; but Drummond was then a boy, and he fought against the insurgents as rebels only. I go to supplicate the throne of grace for him and you."

The abbess relumed Wilmina's lamp, took up her own and retired. Wilmina passed a sleepless night, in revolving the practicability of informing Auriol Drummond where she was concealed. No expedient occurred to her, unless the abbess should deign to favour her liberation; and she feared the request would be improper. She rose unrefreshed and dejected, but submissive to the unerring dispensations of Providence. In fervent devotion she humbly implored the divine mercy and guidance. The bell tolled for matin prayers; she joined them with her inmost soul, and as the sisters moved from the chapel to the refectory, the portress gave the lady abbess a letter bearing the royal signet. Unutterable presentiments throbbed at the heart of Wilmina; with tottering steps, and leaning on her af fectionate niece Mary, she gained her chamber, where we must leave her, and return to the long unnotic

"Blessed of the highest be thou, my daughter, that did not look back to pry into mine infirmity! My eye followed Wilmina of Balveny, and saw that she respected and would not idly search into the secret frailties of the unhappy. Wilmina, these were moments of almost insanity. I acknowledge it to you, that when your own griefs exceed your patience, you may think of mine, and with resignation sustain the blameless infliction. Lady Glammis has acquainted me with your sorrows: though severe, they admit of a re-ed knight of Drummond. medy. You may think of the knight of Drummond without pain; your name will be dear to him as his renown, and you may be happily united. I will pray to the Saviour, to the Blessed Virgin, and to all the saints, that you may both rejoice at the altar; and after a long series of

We parted from the knight of Drummond on a journey to solicit the royal approbation for his marriage. The king had gone for Linlithgow on the morning of that day which brought Drummond to Edinburgh. He instantly followed. James gave the most gracious assent to the

marriage of his faithful envoy, and a grant of lands for his services at the court of France. This act of munificence was the more honourable to the king, as Drummond had joined Lord Balveny in beseeching him "The Lord of Balveny has been to prefer an alliance with England, slain by the adherents of Oliver Sinto the inferior benefits to be expect-clair," said Hossack with a gush of ed from a closer connection with Gal- tears. Drummond hastily added, "And the Lady Wilmina?”

"That was Lord of Balveny!" veny Castle. I shall take a by-road Vol. IV. No. XXIV.

to Ormond Castle, and in the confu- | kept firmly to his brother's instruc

sion and bustle for the funeral of my honoured lord shall not be missed."

tions, to proceed by unfrequented paths. On Lord Balveny's return from Glammis Castle, he spread a report that Wilmina had commenced her noviciate for the black veil at Ravenna; and he ascribed her renunciation of the world to grief for her father's sudden fate. Her filial affection was so remarkable, that her

as her destiny was rather whispered than avowed, the particulars were the more eagerly circulated by retailers of news. Archibald gave Lord Ormond timely notice that Wilmina was to go round the north coast to Vallis Lucis, and he hired a Danish armament to intercept her. Lady Glammis foresaw those purposes, and to disappoint them, took her charge by land. She proceeded, as soon as she could leave Wilmina, to excuse herself to Archibald for de

Before Gabriel Hossack finished his narrative, strongly impressed with the signs of truth, the cavalcade attending the knight of Drummond joined him, and heard, or learnt by inquiry from Gabriel, the disastrous incidents. Many drew their swords, and were for pushing onward to Bal-retreat occasioned no surprise; and veny Castle, to exterminate the ambushed foe, and compel Archibald to give a satisfactory account of his sister; but with his hand on his heart, Drummond stilled the tumultuary effusion of friendship, and said, "This true heart feels your kindness, and admires your valour, my brave friends. If ye would peril your lives in my cause, let it be to rescue the Lady Wilmina. We should divide into small parties, and search for her in every quarter." The greater part of the Drum-viating from his injunctions; and apmonds persisted in desiring to surprise Balveny Castle; but Auriol represented to them that their numbers were not one to three score of the enemy; and in a rash and bootless enterprise they might be slain, and lose all chance of delivering the Lady Wilmina. They submitted to these arguments, and Drummond looked for Gabriel Hossack, to give him such reward as his purse could afford; but the dwarf, having fulfilled his purpose, had left the place. He was seen at a distance taking a shorter road to Ormond Castle.

All the inquiries for Wilmina were unsuccessful. Where the lady and her escort were known, they passed unnoticed in the general ferment caused by the feud between the adherents of Douglas and Sinclair; and when Sylvester joined them, he

peased his wrath by alleging she was constrained to avoid seafaring, as the Drummonds had many ships on the Scottish and English, shores in pursuit of the bride. This was fact; but it was not to shun them that Lady Glamuis made an equestrian journey to the south. Finding her brother resolved to take Wilmina from the convent, and to embark her for Spain with Ormond, Lady Glammis staid but two days at Balveny Castle, and she found means to send a hint to Drummond, where he might seek his beloved. After receiving this darkling intimation, Auriol neither slept nor rested until he laid his wrongs before the king. James with his own hand wrote a mandate to the Lady Abbess of Vallis Lucis. A train of ladies and gentlemen were speedily fitted out, and

occasioned this disorder in a mind abstracted from earthly concerns. Drummond said his mother was an elder sister of Patrick Dunbar, the

with a guard wearing the royal livery, they arrived at Vallis Lucis, when the pious sisterhood were leaving the chapel for the refectory. The abbess led Wilmina to her apart-renowned hero of St. Aubin, and he ment for private audience, and putting the mandate into her hands, bade her peruse it, while she received the strangers in her public hall. Wilmina had shed many tears of anguish; she now wept for joy. The lady abbess had often found, to her sorrow, that incidents, seemingly unconnected with Patrick Dunbar, recalled his forbidden idea to her lacerated mind. He now rushed upon her thoughts almost visibly in youth, health, and melting tenderness: she was forced to retire to compose her feelings. She ordered the portress to usher the strangers into the public hall, and from thence straightway to conduct the knight of Drummond to the Lady Wilminas An hour was given to their rapturous interview: the abbess had subdued her recollections, and came to offer her hospitality to the bridegroom. He turned to make his obeisance: the abbess essayed to speak; the sounds died away on her pale lips. Wilmina's arms received her, laid her on a bench, and soon reviving, she cried, "Can Patrick Dunbar be restored from the grave? Comes he to upbraid Innerbetha who destroyed his son, and with a morsel of bread from her hand, or the blasting tones of her voice, bereft him of life?"

was often told that he greatly resembled his uncle. The mention of St. Aubin and of Patrick Dunbar seemed to reanimate the oppressed soul of Innerbetha. In the battle of St. Aubin, the life of her eldest and dearest brother was preserved by that youth who in manhood was her betrothed husband. With a strug gle nearly convulsive, she said, "Wil mina, you won my affections ere I knew the extent of your claim. My wealth is vast; if given to the family of my brother it will evaporate in follies, allowing the mildest term to the profusion originating in vanity and pride. If intrusted to the knight of Drummond and Wihnina of Bal veny, the stream of their bounty will, by example, refresh the spirit of charity in the rich, and gladden the poor. I shall settle an annuity upon Lady Glammis, her son, and her daughters. The residue of right belongs to the heir and representative of Patrick Dunbar. I gave him my property when I plighted to him my betrothed engagement: that the nuptials were not solemnized was not the fault of the bridegroom."

The lady abbess felt her mind again wandering. She rose, and lift ing her trembling hands, poured forth a benediction on the happy pair. Wilmina embraced her niece, and with kind adieus to the sisterhood, mounted a palfrey magnifi

The abbess relapsed into woful stupefaction. Knowing that she would not be seen in that condition, Wil-cently adorned, and by easy journeys mina called no assistance. Her sooth-reached Edinburgh. The nuptials ing attentions were unremitting; and in the mean time she gave Drumhond an outline of the events that

of Wilmina of Balveny and the knight of Drummond were celebrated at Holyrood-House. Auriol and his