"Preserve us, Robin!" she cried, as she bustled into the house, "there's a coach comin' here--what can folk in a coach want wi' the like o' us? Haud awa out an' see what they want, till I fling on a clean mutch an' an apron, an' mak mysel wiselike." "I watna wha it can be," said Robin, as he rose and went towards the door. The chaise drew up--a tall genteel-looking man alighted from it--at the first glance he seemed nearly forty years of age, but he was much younger. As he approached Robin started back--his heart sprang to his throat--his tongue faltered. "Pe--Pe--Peter!" he exclaimed. The stranger leaped forward, and fell upon the old man's neck. Betty heard the word _Peter!_--the clean cap fell from her hand, she uttered a scream of joy, and rushed to the door, her grey hairs falling over her face; and the next moment her arms encircled her son. I need not tell you of the thousand anxious questions of the fond mother, and how she wept as he hinted at the misfortunes he had encountered, and smiled, and wept, and grasped his hand again, as he dwelt upon his prosperity. "Did I no aye say," exclaimed she, "that I would live to see my Peter a gentleman?" "Yet, mother," said Peter, "riches cannot bring happiness--at least not to me, while I can hear nothing of poor Ann. Can no one tell to what part of America her father went?--for I have sought them everywhere." "Oh, forgie me, hinny," cried Betty, bitterly; "it was a mistake o' yer mother's a'thegither. I understand, now, it wasna Ameri_ca_, they gaed to; but it was Jamai_ca_, or some _ca_, and we hear they're back again." "Not America," said Peter: "and back again!--then, where--where shall I find her?" "When we wrote to you, that, after leaving here, they had gaen to America," said Robin, "it was understood they had gaen there--at ony rate, they went abroad someway--and we never heard, till the other week, that they were back to this country, and are now about Liverpool, where I'm very sorry to hear they are very ill off; for the warld, they say, has gaen a' wrang wi' the auld man." This was the only information Peter could obtain. They were bitter tidings; but they brought hope with them. "Ye were saying that ye was in Liverpool the other day," added his mother; "I wonder ye didna see some o' them!" Peter's spirit was sad, yet he almost smiled at the simplicity of his parent; and he resolved to set out in quest of his betrothed on the following day.