CHAPTER IV.

I was roused out of my sleep at peep of day by a shake at my collar, and saw Mr Mather; who, in a voice of the utmost composure, desired me to get up immediately. He took me by the hand, and, without letting me put on anything but my shoes, led me down stairs, and so out to the orchard behind the house. He did not say a word to me until we were in the midst of the trees. He then took a handkerchief out of one pocket, and a small riding whip out of the other, and, seizing my two hands in one of his, began to cast a knot over them with his handkerchief.

My aunt had often corrected me in former days, but not recently, and Mr Mather had never before offered to strike me even with his hand; so that my surprise at this behaviour was as great as

my indignation. I said to him, almost choking, "Unhand me, sir! What do you mean?—Who are you, that you should treat me thus ?”

He made no answer, but bound my arms above my head to a bough of a tree, and flung my shirt over my face. I resisted with all my might, but I was now blinded, and I only once hit him, and that not until I had kicked both my shoes off.He drew his whip lightly once or twice over my back, and then laid on three several deliberate stripes, that cut the skin clean through, from the nape of the neck downwards. I screamed out at the first blow, but stood shivering in mute rage under the two last.

"This will teach you to brave me again,” he whispered in my ear;-and I heard his footsteps retreating.

A minute after, the footman came out of the house and unbound me. I was shaking all over, and the lad half led, half carried me, to my room, where he made me swallow a glass of water, and put me to bed again. He sat by me until my back had stopped bleeding, and then dressed it for me with a little linen and lard, in vain endeavouring

all the while to get me into any talk whatever. Seeing that I was preparing to dress myself he now left me; upon which I put on my clothes, stole down stairs as gently as I could, caught my pony, and saddled him, and so off to the hill as hard as my heels could make him gallop.

I had been several hours on the hill ere I thought of anything but my rage-but I now began to feel very hungry, and thought I might as well go down to a village which I saw below me, and get some breakfast from an acquaintance whose house was there. Accordingly down I came; but just as I was turning the corner into the village, whom should I meet but Mr Mather. I was close at his side ere I saw him. He was in his whiskey, (our great man had brought one from Edinburgh with him after the last General Assembly,) driving a very tall and bony white horse, which had once been my father's favourite. He stopped the moment he saw me, and called out, 66 Here, sir! I desire you will go home, and instantly. Do not imagine that these monkey tricks are to go on any farther-Home, sir, I say, home!" I reined up my pony, and answered him, grinding

my teeth as I spoke, that I would follow my own fancy, not his; and that I did not know what he talked of as my home. The proud priest made a cut at me with his whip, and though I sprung my horse to one side as quickly as possible, the end of the lash hit me sharply across the face, just below the eyes.

I had a gulley-knife in my pocket, and I instantly, unclasping it, made my pony leap past him, and seized the rein at his horse's head. He saw my design, and lashed at me furiously, but I took it all, and divided the leather close by the bit. I then gave the old horse a bitter cut or two under the belly with my switch, and reinforcing this with the utmost power of my voice, saw him fly, as if seven devils were within him, right through the village.

I gallopped my pony after him, and enjoyed his shouts of alarm, until he was past the houses. A moment after his wheel took a huge lump of coal that was lying on the road, and I saw him projected into the heart of a quickset hedge, from which he rebounded into the ditch. I saw that he lay quite motionless, and hearing people be

hind me, leaped the hedge myself, and regained the hill.

I got into the wildest part of the moor ere I stopped, and then sat down on a stone to consider with myself what was to be done. I had revolved many different plans, of going to Glasgow, to Edinburgh, and I know not what, when suddenly the thought struck me that it was very likely the Minister was dead, and if so, that I was certainly a murderer. Upon the first flash of this I got to my pony again, and rode further into the heath, convincing myself more and more, as I went on, that the thing must be so. I had tasted nothing since yesterday's noon, and my throat and lips were dry with exhaustion and agitation. It was a dark October day-how different from yesterday was the lowering sky! The wind began to howl over the heath, and everything looked gloomy, far and near. I thought of my aunt and the children, and cursed myself for what I had done. I thought I should have no peace anywhere, and that the only thing I could do was to surrender myself, and take whatever might come.

I was riding slowly homeward with this inten