‘Reasons here, or reasons there,’ said his mother, ‘I hae gude reason to know that it’s no in your power to prevent it.--Noo, Beenie, and noo, Walky, down on your knees baith o’ you, and mak a novelle confession that ye were married the day; and beg your father’s pardon, who has been so jocose at your wedding feast that for shame he canna refuse to conciliate, and mak a handsome aliment down on the nail.’ The youthful pair did as they were desired--George looked at them for about a minute, and was unable to speak. He then threw a wild and resentful glance round the table, and started from his seat. ‘Never mind him,’ said the Leddy, with the most perfect equanimity; ‘rise, my bairns, and tak your chairs--he’ll soon come to himsel.’ ‘He’ll never come to himself--he is distracted--he is ruined--his life is blasted, and his fortune destroyed,’ were the first words that burst from the astonished father; and he subjoined impatiently, ‘This cannot be true--it is impossible!--Do you trifle with me, mother?--Robina, can you have done this?’ ‘’Deed, Geordie, I doubt it’s o’er true,’ replied his mother; ‘and it cannot be helped noo.’ ‘But it may be punished!’ was his furious exclamation.--‘I will never speak to one of you again! To defraud me of my dearest purpose--to deceive my hopes--Oh you have made me miserable!’ ‘Ye’ll be muckle the better o’ your glass o’ wine, Geordie--tak it, and compose yoursel like a decent and sedate forethinking man, as ye hae been ay reputed.’ He seized the glass, and dashed it into a thousand shivers on the table. All by this time had risen but the Leddy--she alone kept her seat and her coolness. ‘The man’s gaen by himsel,’ said she with the most matronly tranquillity.--‘He has scartit and dintit my gude mahogany table past a’ the power o’ bees-wax and elbow grease to smooth. But, sirs, sit down--I expekit far waur than a’ this--I did na hope for ony thing like sic composity and discretion. Really, Geordie, it’s heart salve to my sorrows to see that ye’re a man o’ a Christian meekness and resignation.’ The look with which he answered this was, however, so dark, so troubled, and so lowering, that it struck terror and alarm even into his mother’s bosom, and instantly silenced her vain and vexatious attempt to ridicule the tempest of his feelings.--She threw herself back in her chair, at once overawed and alarmed; and he suddenly turned round and left the house. CHAPTER LXXIX The shock which the delicate frame of Mrs. Walkinshaw of Kittlestonheugh received on hearing of her daughter’s precipitate marriage, and the distress which it seemed to give her husband, acted as a stimulus to the malady which had so long undermined her health, and the same night she was suddenly seized with alarming symptoms. Next day the disease evidently made such rapid progress, that even the Doctors ventured to express their apprehensions of a speedy and fatal issue.