humour rendered him a most delightful companion. The charms of Strongbrain's colloquial powers fascinated our hero to a very late hour, and he determined to spare no pains in cultivating so very valuable and pleasant an acquaintance: but for some weeks family parties interrupted the progress of their new acquaintance. The old vicar and his son took an excursion to London, whence their friends promised to return with him to Yorkshire. The day was appointed for their departure, when a letter arriving from Etterick, strongly soliciting William to come as soon as possible to Scotland, as his assistance was very much wanted, both by the father and daughter. The mother had, it seems, been dead upwards of a year, and for many months the father and Mrs. O'Rourke had lived together in tranquillity. But of late, disturbance had taken place, which they
