And, although baith my faither and mother said to me, as I was gaun out--'Where are ye gaun, lassie?'--'Oh, no very far,' said I; and, at four o'clock, I met James at the Penny Stane. I shall never forget the grip that he gied my hand when he took it in his, and said-- 'Ye hae been as good as your word, Diana.' We wandered awa doun by Wedderburn dyke, till we came to the Blackadder, and then we sauntered down by the river side, till we were opposite Kelloe--and, oh, it was a pleasant afternoon. Everything round about us, aboon us, and among our feet, seemed to ken it was Sunday--everything but James and me. The laverock was singing in the blue lift--the blackbirds were whistling in the hedges--the mavis chaunted its loud sang frae the bushes on the braes--the lennerts[D] were singing and chirming among the whins--and the shelfa[E] absolutely seemed to follow ye wi' its three notes over again, in order that ye might learn them. [D] Linnets [E] Chaffinch It was the happiest afternoon I ever spent. James grat, and I grat. I got a scolding frae my faither and my mother when I gaed hame, and they demanded to ken where I had been; but the words that James had spoken to me bore me up against their reproaches. Weel, it was very shortly (I daresay not six months after my faither's death), that James called at my mother's, and as he said, to bid us _farewell!_ He took my mother's hand--I mind I saw him raise it to his lips, while the tears were on his cheeks; and he was also greatly put about to part wi' my sisters; but to me he said-- 'Ye'll set me down a bit, Diana.' He was to take the coach for Liverpool--or at least, a coach to take him on the road to that town, the next day; and from there he was to proceed to the West Indies, to meet an uncle who was to make him his heir. I went out wi' him, and we wandered away down by our auld walks; but, oh, he said little, and he sighed often, and his heart was sad. But mine was as sad as his, and I could say as little as him. I winna, I canna write a' the words and the vows that passed. He took the chain frae his watch, and it was o' the best gold, and he also took a pair o' Bibles frae his pocket, and he put the watch chain and the Bibles into my hand, and--'Diana,' said he, 'take these, dear--keep them for the sake o' your poor James, and, as often as ye see them, think on him.' I took them, and wi' the tears running down my cheeks--'O James,' cried I, 'this is hard!--hard!' Twice, ay thrice, we bade each other '_farewell_,' and thrice, after he had parted frae me, he cam running back again, and, throwing his arms round my neck, cried-- 'Diana! I canna leave ye!--promise me that ye will never marry onybody else!' And thrice I promised him that I wouldna.