‘For company’s sake she used to come in an’ sit wi’ her wark beside Mary, an’ they turn’d unco fond o’ ane anither, an’ at nicht when Willie cam hame, they wad sing while he play’d the flute; an’ at length we seemed just like ae family. ‘In a short time I cou’d see that Willie was mair ta’en up wi’ Jessie, an’ she wi’ him, than I cou’d hae wished; if she happened no to be in when he cam hame, he was dowie an’ restless, an’ cou’dna content himsel’ at his books or his drawin’ the way he used to do. I was vexed to see this for twa or three reasons: in the first place, they were owre young to think on marryin’; an’ in the next, she wasna the kind o’ woman I wad hae wished Willie for a wife. She was owre fond o’ dress, an’ folk admiring her, to suit his sober, douce temper; an’ I saw that it wad be a sair struggle for his heart. But as what was done cou’dna be mended, I resolved to lippen to Providence, hoping that every thing wad turn out for the best. They now began to meet out o’ the house, an’ the langer they were acquainted, I could see that Willie’s heart was the deeper in love; but Jessie didna seem to keep up wi’ him in that respect. She had owre great a likin’ for hersel’ to spare much to him; her affection for him raise an’ sank wi’ every turn o’ her flighty head,—ae day she wad be dyin’ wi’ kindness about him because he had on some dress that took her fancy, an’ she wad parade wi’ him round the town; anither time she wad refuse to walk wi’ him, because his hat or his napkin wasna in the fashion. I often wondered that Willie put up wi’ a’ her fancies; for he wasna easy imposed on wi’ other folk, but wi’ her he seemed as if he was bewitched. THE COQUET. ‘About this time, Jessie, wha had been at a dancing-school, was to be at a practisin’ ball, an’ gied Willie an’ Mary tickets. Puir things, nane o’ them had ever learned to dance, for besides no being very sure aboot the propriety o’ the thing, I thought that dancing wasna very necessar’ in their station o’ life; but their curiosity had been raised sae much wi’ Jessie’s description, that they were keen to gang, and although I wad been better pleased that they had staid at hame, they had aye been sae guid that I couldna think to deny them. ‘Jessie cam in for them that night, busked up like ony lady, wi’ her white gown an’ flounces an’ spangles, her neck and arms bare, and her head dressed out wi’ artificial flowers, and her white satin shoon tied up in her pocket napkin, to put on when she gaed into the ball-room. I could scarcely believe my ain een—I glanced at her, and syne at Willie—he looked as if he could have fa’en down and worshipped her—and for a moment I was proud to think that my son should hae sic a sweetheart: but when I thocht on what micht be the upshot o’ a’ this, I couldna help sighin’ an’ sayin’ to mysel’, “I wish this mayna end in breakin’ my puir laddie’s heart.”