[Frontispiece: "He visited again and again the fountain in the grove, and at last won from the lady the acceptance of his suit."--_p._ 60.] THE FAA'S REVENGE And Other Tales By JOHN MACKAY WILSON, AND OTHERS. London: GALL AND INGLIS, 25 PATERNOSTER SQUARE, AND EDINBURGH. Contents THE FAA'S REVENGE . . . . . . . J. M. Wilson THE RIVAL NIGHTCAPS . . . . . . Alexander Campbell THE STORY OF CLARA DOUGLAS . . Walter Logan COUNTRY QUARTERS . . . . . . . Theodore Martin THE MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER . . . . Alexander Campbell MAY DARLING . . . . . . . . . . J. F. Smith MORTLAKE: A LEGEND OF MORTON . James Maidment MAJOR WEIR'S COACH . . . . . . George Howell WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER . . . . . . J. M. Wilson THE FAA'S REVENGE OR THE Laird of Clennel BY JOHN MACKAY WILSON. Brown October was drawing to a close--the breeze had acquired a degree of sharpness too strong to be merely termed bracing--and the fire, as the saying is, was becoming the best flower in the garden, for the hardiest and the latest plants had either shed their leaves, or their flowers had shrivelled at the breath of approaching winter--when a stranger drew his seat towards the parlour fire of the Three-Half-Moons Inn, in Rothbury. He had sat for the space of half-an-hour when a party entered, who, like himself (as appeared from their conversation), were strangers, or rather visitors of the scenery, curiosities, and antiquities in the vicinity. One of them having ordered the waiter to bring each of them a glass of brandy and warm water, without appearing to notice the presence of the first mentioned stranger, after a few remarks on the objects of interest in the neighbourhood, the following conversation took place amongst them:-- "Why," said one, "but even Rothbury here, secluded as it is from the world, and shut out from the daily intercourse of men, is a noted place. It was here that the ancient and famous northern bard, and unrivalled ballad writer, Bernard Rumney, was born, bred, and died. Here, too, was born Dr Brown, who, like Young and Home, united the characters of divine and dramatist, and was the author of '_Barbarossa_,' '_The Cure of Saul_,' and other works of which posterity and his country are proud. The immediate neighbourhood, also, was the birthplace of the inspired boy, the heaven-taught mathematician, George Coughran, who knew no rival, and who bade fair to eclipse the glory of Newton, but whom death struck down ere he had reached the years of manhood." "Why, I can't tell," said another; "I don't know much about what you've been talking of; but I know, for one thing, that Rothbury was a famous place for every sort of games; and, at Fastren's E'en times, the rule was, every male inhabitant above eight years of age to pay a shilling, or out to the foot-ball. It was noted for its gamecocks, too--they were the best breed on the Borders."