Twice the musician played over the touching strain, delighted to perceive the effects of the music on the lovely girl who stood before him, and rightly conceiving it to be an unequivocal proof of a susceptible heart and of a generous nature. A third time he began the beautiful air; but he now accompanied it with a song, and in this accomplishment he was no less perfect than in the others which have been already attributed to him. His voice was at once manly and melodious, and he conducted it with a skill that did it every justice. Having played two or three bars of the tune, his rich and well-regulated voice chimed in with the following words:-- "Oh, I hae lived wi' high-bred dames, Each state of life to prove, But never till this hour hae met The girl that I could love. It's no in fashion's gilded ha's That she is to be seen; Beneath her father's humble roof Abides my bonny Jean. Oh, wad she deign ae thought to wair, Ae kindly thought on me, Wi' pearls I wad deck her hair, Though low be my degree. Wi' pearls I wad deck her hair, Wi' gowd her wrists sae sma'; An' had I lands and houses, she'd Be leddy owre them a'. The sun abune's no what he seems, Nor is the night's fair queen; Then wha kens wha the minstrel is That's wooin bonny Jean?" Jeanie could not help feeling a little strange as the minstrel proceeded with a song which seemed to have so close a reference to herself. She, of course, did not consider this circumstance otherwise than as merely accidental; but she could not help, nevertheless, being somewhat embarrassed by it; and this was made sufficiently evident by the blush that mantled on her cheek, and by the confusion of her manner under the fixed gaze of the singer, while repeating the verses just quoted. When he had concluded, "Well, good folks all," he said, "what think ye of my song?" And without waiting for an answer, about which he seemed very indifferent, he added, "and how do you like it, Jeanie?" directing the question exclusively to the party he named. "Very weel," replied Jeanie, again blushing, but still more deeply than before; "the song is pretty, an' the air delightfu'; but some o' the verses are riddles to me. I dinna thoroughly understan them." "Don't you?" replied Sir John, laughing; "then I'll explain them to you by and by; but, in the meantime, I must screw my pegs anew, and work for my dinner, for I see the good folk about me here are all impatience to begin." A fact this which was instantly acknowledged by a dozen voices; and straightway the whole party proceeded, in compliance with a suggestion of Mr Harrison, to the green in front of the house, where Sir John took up his position on the top of an inverted wheelbarrow, and immediately commenced his labours.