Towards this person Willie now advanced, discarding, however, as much as possible, all appearance of having any particular object in view; for he prided himself on the caution and dexterity with which he managed all such matters as that he was now engaged in. "Fine day, honest man," said Willie, approaching the old weaver. "Gran wather for the hairst." "It's just that, noo," replied the old man, gazing at Willie with a look of inquiry. "Just uncommon pleesant wather." "A bit nice airy place up here," remarked the latter. "Ou ay, weel aneuch for that," replied the weaver. "But air 'll no fill the wame." "No very substantially," said Willie. "Some gran hooses up here, though. Wha's is that?" and he pointed to a very handsome mansion-house opposite. "That's the rector o' Hamilton's," replied the weaver. "And that are there?" "That's the rector o' Carstairs'." "And that?" "That's the rector o' Erskine's." "'Od, but ye do leeve in a godly neighbourhood here," said Willie, impatient with these clerical iterations. "Do a' the best houses hereawa belang to the clergy?" "Indeed, the maist feck o' them," said the weaver. "Leave ye them alane for that. The best o' everything fa's to their share." "Yonder's anither handsome hoose, noo," said Willie, pointing to one he had not yet indicated. "Does yon belang to the clergy too?" "Ou no; yon's the late Mr. Craig's," replied the weaver; "ane o' oor walthiest merchants, wha died some time ago." "Ou ay," said Willie, drily; "just sae. Gude mornin', friend." And thinking he had managed his inquiries very dexterously, he sauntered slowly away--still assuming to have no special object in view--towards the particular house just spoken of, and which, we need not say, was precisely the one he wanted. It was a large isolated building, with an extensive garden behind, and stretching down the face of what is now called the Deanside Brae. On the side next the street, the entrance was by a tall, narrow, iron gate. This gate Willie now approached, but found it locked hard and fast. Finding this, he bawled out, at the top of his voice, for some one to come to him. After a time, an old woman made her appearance, and, in no very pleasant mood, asked him what he wanted. "I hae a particular message, frae a very particular person, to the young leddy o' this hoose," replied Willie. "Ye maun gang and seek the young leddy o' this hoose ither whars than here, then," said the old dame, making back to the house again, without intending any further communication on the subject. "Do ye mean to say that she's no in the hoose?" shouted Willie. "Ay, I mean to say that, and mair too," replied the old crone. "She hasna been in't for a gey while, and winna be in't for a guid while langer; and sae ye may tell them that sent ye." Saying this, she passed into the house; and by doing so, would have put an end to all further conference.