The travellers had proceeded with such expedition that, having left Selkirk at three o’clock in the afternoon, they the next evening at nine arrived at Doncaster, and, very little to the satisfaction of the laird, found Mrs. Sourkrout engaged at whist and in high spirits, in the very act of receiving three tricks for a revoke. She was agreeably surprised by a visit of which she had no apprehension of the motives. But, though she was not so ill as the laird had expected, she was so much emaciated he was not without hopes of soon laying her under ground. The dowager asked Miss Suke if they had taken the colonel’s in their way, and if she had seen her cousin William? She answered in the negative; but learned with much satisfaction, that he was expected in town the following day to the races. The next day came, William made his appearance, and paid his compliments to Miss with the ease of good-humoured indifference. Miss was in raptures with her charming cousin, as she did not scruple openly to call him, but could not help finding that though he behaved with polite attention he exhibited no marks of mutual regard. She watched his eyes as they followed various belles; and though she did not see them fixed long upon one object, she saw the expression was much more animated towards several objects than to herself. The third day, she observed our hero very earnestly ogling a smart young milliner that came to the inn with preparations for the ensuing ball, and that as she left the room William went out also; softly following them to the stairs, Miss saw them meet, and William bestow on her a kind caress not unlike Roger O’Rourke’s kiss of joy. Though various opportunities had offered, he had never made the least advances to such a freedom with Miss Sukey. After a minute the fair companion of Hamilton caught a view of the listener, and hurried away. Hamilton, who had not seen her motive, hastened after her to the street. Meanwhile Miss Sukey retired to consult a favourite servant who had followed them by the stage-coach; she was directed to watch the motions of the dresser of caps and her supposed admirer, which she could the more easily do as she had seen both without being known to either. Betty executed her commission, and observed both at a small distance in a lane that opened to a large garden belonging to the inn. This intelligence she communicated to her young mistress, and they set out to reconnoitre. As the garden was full of bushes and trees, it was not difficult to see without being seen, or to hear without being heard. Hamilton was a young man of honour and principle, and consequently could not deliberately plan the seduction of an innocent female, nor even intentionally engage her affections and so distress her heart: but he was by no means averse to intrigues, when he conceived the object not to come under that description. Jenny Collings, the daughter to a Sheffield manufacturer, after having