and embraced and kissed his sisters
and grandmother a hundred times, while the whole party half-laughed,
half-cried, in the extremity of their joy. "I am the happiest man," said
Hobbie, throwing himself down on a seat, almost exhausted,--"I am the
happiest man in the world!"

"Then, O my dear bairn," said the good old dame, who lost no opportunity
of teaching her lesson of religion at those moments when the heart
was best open to receive it,--"Then, O my son, give praise to Him that
brings smiles out o' tears and joy out o' grief, as He brought light out
o' darkness and the world out o' naething. Was it not my word, that if
ye could say His will be done, ye might hae cause to say His name be
praised?"

"It was--it was your word, grannie; and I do praise Him for His mercy,
and for leaving me a good parent when my ain were gane," said honest
Hobbie, taking her hand, "that puts me in mind to think of Him, baith in
happiness and distress."

There was a solemn pause of one or two minutes employed in the exercise
of mental devotion, which expressed, in purity and sincerity, the
gratitude of the affectionate family to that Providence who had
unexpectedly restored to their embraces the friend whom they had lost.

Hobbie's first enquiries were concerning the adventures which Grace
had undergone. They were told at length, but amounted in substance
to this:--That she was awaked by the noise which the ruffians made in
breaking into the house, and by the resistance made by one or two of the
servants, which was soon overpowered; that, dressing herself hastily,
she ran downstairs, and having seen, in the scuffle, Westburnflat's
vizard drop off, imprudently named him by his name, and besought him for
mercy; that the ruffian instantly stopped her mouth, dragged her from
the house, and placed her on horseback, behind one of his associates.

"I'll break the accursed neck of him," said Hobbie, "if there werena
another Graeme in the land but himsell!"

She proceeded to say, that she was carried southward along with the
party, and the spoil which they drove before them, until they had
crossed the Border. Suddenly a person, known to her as a kinsman of
Westburnflat, came riding very fast after the marauders, and told their
leader, that his cousin had learnt from a sure hand that no luck would
come of it, unless the lass was restored to her friends. After some
discussion, the chief of the party seemed to acquiesce. Grace was placed
behi