emed necessary to enable her to act her part. But Jenny was, as her
mother phrased it, "an even-forrit, silly, simple lassie;" and in her
hands nothing succeeded. It was with the utmost difficulty that she
could be brought to give the slightest encouragement to a new lover,
and if at any time she did muster sufficient resolution to smile upon
a rival in the presence of Sandy Crawford, her eye immediately turned
upon the latter, to see if he approved of what she had done; and when,
in his guarded look, she could read neither approbation nor
disapprobation, a deep sigh commonly revealed her apprehensions for
having done wrong. The preposterousness of such conduct needs no
remark; its evident tendency was, to keep him free from the slightest
suspicions of having a competitor for her hand, and the most distant
idea that he was in any danger of losing her--and all this in the
midst of schemes intended to produce a contrary effect!

It is probable that other schemes might have been devised, or the same
ones might have been prosecuted to a still greater extent; but what
had been already done, aided by his own observation, had opened his
eyes to some things of which he was not before fully aware. Hitherto,
he seemed to have supposed that he was himself the only sufferer; but
he now discovered that there was another whom he was making unhappy,
and her unhappiness evidently pained him, adding, at the same time, to
his other causes of anxiety, whatever they were, and consequently to
the thoughtfulness of his looks. But still he seemed to fear coming to
an explanation, as much as if he had been certain that such a step
would destroy his last remains of hope. He could not, however, long
endure such an idea; and adopting what had become the least painful
alternative, he seemed to have made up his mind to the unfolding of
that secret which, hitherto, he had kept to himself.

"Jenny," said he, one day, after a long and thoughtful silence, "for
some months I have scarcely known what it was to be happy for a single
hour; and, strange as ye may think it, _love_ has been one of the
principal causes of my misery. Had it not been for _that_, I could
have thought lightly of poverty and everything else. I have acted
foolishly, perhaps, and made myself altogether unworthy of the woman
whom I love; but, yet, I would fain hope that she will not despise me,
and I am now resolved----"

At hearing these words, Jenny's heart had begun to palpitate