een united with England. While the
wisest of the nation saw that the only hope for the country was in being
governed by the same king and parliament as the English, many of the
most powerful men wished not to be governed at all, but to be altogether
despotic over their dependents and neighbours, and to have their _own_
way in everything. These lords and gentlemen did such violent things as
are never heard of now in civilised countries; and when their inferiors
had any strong desire or passion, they followed the example of the great
men, so that travelling was dangerous; citizens did not feel themselves
safe in their own houses if they had reason to believe they had enemies;
few had any trust in the protection of the law; and stories of fighting
and murder were familiar to children living in the heart of cities.

Children, however, had less liberty then than in our time. The more
self-will there was in grown people, the more strictly were the children
kept in order, not only because the uppermost idea of everyone in
authority was that he would be obeyed, but because it would not do to
let little people see the mischief that was going on abroad. So, while
boys had their hair powdered, and wore long coats and waistcoats, and
little knee-breeches, and girls were laced tight in stays all stiff with
whalebone, they were trained to manners more formal than are ever seen
now.

One autumn afternoon a party was expected at the house of Lord Carse, in
Edinburgh; a handsome house in a very odd situation, according to our
modern notions. It was at the bottom of a narrow lane of houses--that
sort of lane called a Wynd in Scotch cities. It had a court-yard in
front. It was necessary to have a court-yard to a good house in a
street too narrow for carriages. Visitors must come in sedan chairs and
there must be some place, aside from the street, where the chairs and
chairmen could wait for the guests. This old fashioned house had
sitting-rooms on the ground floor, and on the sills of the windows were
flower-pots, in which, on this occasion, some asters and other autumn
flowers were growing.

Within the largest sitting-room was collected a formal group, awaiting
the arrival of visitors. Lord Carse's sister, Lady Rachel Ballino, was
there, surrounded by her nephews and nieces. As they came in, one after
another, dressed for company, and made their bow or curtsey at the door,
their aunt gave them permission to sit down till the