ated；　as　they　were；　by　the　vivacity　of　her　conversation。　　Her　teeth　were　excellent；　and　her　eyes；　although　inclining　to　grey；　were　lively；　laughing；　and　undimmed　by　time。　A　slight　shade　of　complexion；　more　brilliant　than　her　years　promised；　subjected　my　friend　amongst　strangers　to　the　suspicion　of　having　stretched　her　foreign　habits　as　far　as　the　prudent　touch　of　the　rouge。　　But　it　was　a　calumny；　for　when　telling　or　listening　to　an　interesting　and　affecting　story；　I　have　seen　her　colour　come　and　go　as　if　it　played　on　the　cheek　of　eighteen。
  Her　hair；　whatever　its　former　deficiencies　was　now　the　most　beautiful　white　that　time　could　bleach；　and　was　disposed　with　some　degree　of　pretension；　though　in　the　simplest　manner　possible；　so　as　to　appear　neatly　smoothed　under　a　cap　of　Flanders　lace；　of　an　old…fashioned　but；　as　I　thought；　of　a　very　handsome　form；　which　undoubtedly　has　a　name；　and　I　would　endeavour　to　recur　to　it；　if　I　thought　it　would　make　my　description　a　bit　more　intelligible。　　I　think　I　have　heard　her　say　these　favourite　caps　had　been　her　mother's；　and　had　come　in　fashion　with　a　peculiar　kind　of　wig　used　by　the　gentlemen　about　the　time　of　the　battle　of　Ramillies。　　The　rest　of　her　dress　was　always　rather　costly　and　distinguished；　especially　in　the　evening。　　A　silk　or　satin　gown　of　some　colour　becoming　her　age；　and　of　a　form　which；　though　complying　to　a　certain　degree　with　the　present　fashion；　had　always　a　reference　to　some　more　distant　period；　was　garnished　with　triple　ruffles。　　Her　shoes　had　diamond　buckles；　and　were　raised　a　little　at　heel；　an　advantage　which；　possessed　in　her　youth；　she　alleged　her　size　would　not　permit　her　to　forego　in　her　old　age。　　She　always　wore　rings；　bracelets；　and　other　ornaments　of　value；　either　for　the　materials　or　the　workmanship；　nay；　perhaps　she　was　a　little　profuse　in　this　species　of　display。　　But　she　wore　them　as　subordinate　matters；　to　which　the　habits　of　being　constantly　in　high　life　rendered　her　indifferent；　she　wore　them　because　her　rank　required　it；　and　thought　no　more　of　them　as　articles　of　finery　than　a　gentleman　dressed　for　dinner　thinks　of　his　clean　linen　and　well…brushed　coat；　the　consciousness　of　which　embarrasses　the　rustic　beau　on　a　Sunday。
  Now　and　then；　however；　if　a　gem　or　ornament　chanced　to　be　noticed　for　its　beauty　or　singularity；　the　observation　usually　led　the　way　to　an　entertaining　account　of　the　manner　in　which　it　had　been　acquired；　or　the　person　from　whom　it　had　descended　to　its　present　possessor。　　On　such　and　similar　occasions　my　old　friend　spoke　willingly；　which　is　not　uncommon；　but　she　also；　which　is　more　rare；　spoke　remarkably　well；　and　had　in　her　little　narratives　concerning　foreign　parts　or　former　days；　which　formed　an　interesting　part　of　her　conversation；　the　singular　art　of　dismissing　all　the　usual　protracted　tautology　respecting　time；　place；　and　circumstances　which　is　apt　to　settle　like　a　mist　upon　the　cold　and　languid　tales　of　age；　and　at　the　same　time　of　bringing　forward；　dwelling　upon；　and　illustrating　those　incidents　and　characters　which　give　point　and　interest　to　the　story。
  She　had；　as　we　have　hinted；　travelled　a　good　deal　in　foreign　countries；　for　a　brother；　to　whom　she　was　much　attached；　had　been　sent　upon　various　missions　of　national　importance　to　the　Continent；　and　she　had　more　than　once　embraced　the　opportunity　of　accompanying　him。　　This　furnished　a　great　addition　to　the　information　which　she　could　supply；　especially　during　the　last　war；　when　the　Continent　was　for　so　many　years　hermetically　sealed　against　the　English　nation。　　But；　besides；　Mrs。　Bethune　Baliol　visited　different　countries；　not　in　the　modern　fashion；　when　English　travel　in　caravans　together；　and　see　in　France　and　Italy　little　besides　the　same　society　which　they　might　have　enjoyed　at　home。　　On　the　contrary；　she　mingled　when　abroad　with　the　natives　of　those　countries　she　visited；　and　enjoyed　at　once　the　advantage　of　their　society；　and　the　pleasure　of　comparing　it　with　that　of　Britain。
  In　the　course　of　her　becoming　habituated　with　foreign　manners；　Mrs。　Bethune　Baliol　had；　perhaps；　acquired　some　slight　tincture　of　them　herself。　　Yet　I　was　always　persuaded　that　the　peculiar　vivacity　of　look　and　mannerthe　pointed　and　appropriate　action　with　which　she　accompanied　what　she　saidthe　use　of　the　gold　and　gemmed　TABATIERE；　or　rather；　I　should　say；　BONBONNIERE　（for　she　took　no　snuff；　and　the　little　box　contained　only　a　few　pieces　of　candled　angelica；　or　some　such　ladylike　sweetmeat）；　were　of　real　old…fashioned　Scottish　growth；　and　such　as　might　have　graced　the　tea…table　of　Susannah；　Countess　of　Eglinton；　the　patroness　of　Allan　Ramsay　＇See　Note　4。Countess　of　Eglinton。＇；　　or　of　the　Hon。　Mrs。　Colonel　Ogilvy；　who　was　another　mirror　by　whom　the　Maidens　of　Auld　Reekie　were　required　to　dress　themselves。　Although　well　acquainted　with　the　customs　of　other　countries；　her　manners　had　been　chiefly　formed　in　her　own；　at　a　time　when　great　folk　lived　within　little　space　and　when　the　distinguished　names　of　the　highest　society　gave　to　Edinburgh　the　ECLAT　which　we　now　endeavour　to　derive　from　the　unbounded　expense　and　extended　circle　of　our　pleasures。
  I　was　more　confirmed　in　this　opinion　by　the　peculiarity　of　the　dialect　which　Mrs。　Baliol　used。　　It　was　Scottishdecidedly　Scottishoften　containing　phrases　and　words　little　used　in　the　present　day。　　But　then　her　tone　and　mode　of　pronunciation　were　as　different　from　the　usual　accent　of　the　ordinary　Scotch　PATOIS；　as　the　accent　of　St。　James's　is　from　that　of　Billingsgate。　　The　vowels　were　not　pronounced　much　broader　than　in　the　Italian　language；　and　there　was　none　of　the　disagreeable　drawl　which　is　so　offensive　to　southern　ears。　　In　short；　it　seemed　to　be　the　Scottish　as　spoken　by　the　ancient　Court　of　Scotland；　to　which　no　idea　of　vulgarity　could　be　attached；　and　the　lively　manners　and　gestures　with　which　it　was　accompanied　were　so　completely　in　accord　with　the　sound　of　the　voice　and　the　style　of　talking；　that　I　cannot　assign　them　a　different　origin。　　In　long　derivation；　perhaps　the　manner　of　the　Scottish　court　might　have　been　originally　formed　on　that　of　France；　to　which　it　had　certainly　some　affinity；　but　I　will　live　and　die　in　the　belief　that　those　of　Mrs。　Baliol；　as　pleasing　as　they　were　peculiar；　came　to　her　by　direct　descent　from　the　high　dames　who　anciently　adorned　with　their　presence　the　royal　halls　of　Holyrood。
  CHAPTER　VII。
  MRS。　BALIOL　ASSISTS　MR。　CROFTANGRY　IN　HIS　LITERARY　SPECULATIONS。
  Such　as　I　have　described　Mrs。　Bethune　Baliol；　the　reader　will　easily　believe　that；　when　I　thought　of　the　miscellaneous　nature　of　my　work；　I　rested　upon　the　information　she　possessed；　and　her　communicative　disposition；　as　one　of　the　principal　supports　of　my　enterprise。　　Indeed；　she　by　no　means　disapproved　of　my　proposed　publication；　though　expressing　herself　very　doubtful　how　far　she　could　personally　assist　ita　doubt　which　might　be；　perhaps；　set　down　to　a　little　ladylike　coquetry；　which　required　to　be　sued　for　the　boon　she　was　not　unwilling　to　grant。　　Or；　perhaps；　the　good　old　lady；　conscious　that　her　unusual　term　of　years　must　soon　draw　to　a　close；　preferred　bequeathing　the　materials　in　the　shape　of　a　legacy；　to　subjecting　them　to　the　judgment　of　a　critical　public　during　her　lifetime。
  Many　a　time　I　used；　in　our　conversations　of　the　Canongate；　to　resume　my　request　of　assistance；　from　a　sense　that　my　friend　was　the　most　valuable　depository　of　Scottish　traditions　that　was　probably　now　to　be　found。　　This　was　a　subject　on　which　my　mind　was　so　much　made　up　that；　when　I　heard　her　carry　her　description　of　manners　so　far　back　beyond　her　own　time；　and　describe　how　Fletcher　of　Salton　spoke；　how　Graham　of　Claverhouse　danced；　what　were　the　jewels　worn　by　the　famous　Duchess　of　Lauderdale；　and　how　she　came　by　them；　I　could　not　help　telling　her　I　thought　her　some　fairy；　who　cheated　us　by　retaining　the　appearance　of　a　mortal　of　our　own　day；　when；　in　fact；　she　had　witnessed　the　revolutions　of　centuries。　　She　was　much　diverted　when　I　required　her　to　take　some　solemn　oath　that　she　had　not　danced　at　the　balls　given　by　Mary　of　Este；　when　her　unhappy　husband　occupied　Holyrood　in　a　species　of　honourable　banishment；　＇The　Duke　of　York　afterwards　James　II。；　frequently　resided　in　Holyrood　House　when　his　religion　rendered　him　an　object　of　suspicion　to　the　English　Parliament。＇　or　asked　whether　she　could　not　recollect　Charles　the　Second　when　he　came　to　Scotland　in　1650；　and　did　not　possess　some　slight　recollections　of　the　bold　usurper　who　drove　him　beyond　the　Forth。
  〃BEAU　COUSIN；〃　she　said；　laughing；　〃none　of　these　do　I　remember　personally；　but　you　must　know　there　has　been　wonderfully　little　change　on　my　natural　temper　from　youth　to　age。　　From　which　it　follows；　cousin；　that；　being　even　now　something　too　young　in　spirit　for　the　years　which　Time　has　marked　me　in　his　calendar；　I　was；　when　a　girl；　a　little　too　old　for　those　of　my　own　standing；　and　as　much　inclined　at　that　period　to　keep　the　society　of　elder　persons；　as　I　am　now　disposed　to　admit　the　company　of　gay　young　fellows　of　fifty　or　sixty　like　yourself；　rather　than　collect　about　me　all　the　octogenarians。　　Now；　although　I　do　not　actually　come　from　Elfland；　and　therefore　cannot　boast　any　personal　knowledge　of　the　great　personages　you　enqu