Taken By Brigands.

the Avind as a lad to his lassie . My shipmates Avere all first-class seamen , and as jnany in each watch as would form the whole cteAV of a merchantman of twice the tonnage ; so there Avas nae neglect or slovenliness arising frae over-fatigue ; and

whether you looked beloAv or aloft , nae matter how hard it might be blaAving , every thing Avas as neat , and spick and span , as in a model at an exhibition . Weel , after a time , Avhich Avas ower soon to my thinking , Ave came to Naples , and

spent a month cruising about , speering here , and inquiring there , but MacKenzie could learn nae tidings of his uncle Avhatever . Plenty of odd fishes had been up and down that part of the coast , paying men to grub about for them , and Ave folloAved up the traces of several .

One Avas a German , another a Frenchman , and tAvo others Avere English ; but ' Mr . Archibald Avasna among them , and they kneAV nothing of him . At last the MacKenzie determined to visit Rome , and make inquiries there ; and as Laird Goldfinch did not care to gang Avith him

, because there Avere some folks staying there he Avished to keep out of the Avay of , he said that he Avould take a cruise to Sicily , and be back at Civita Yecchia by a clay agreed upon . The MacKenzie thought at first of

Yiggvag me up hi long-shore clothes , and taking me Avith him ; bat he met Avith a courier body , who knew all the Avays of the police and the laAvyer folk out there ; and so he took him , and I sailed with Lord Goldfinch to Palermo .

No sooner had Ave dropped anchor than I had to land , and leave a lot of letters at different houses , and a fine crap of invitations they brought back . His lairdship didna Avant for society in his friend ' s absence , for he was out dining , or dancing , or fiddlingor gambling niht of

, every g his life . He was one of those pleasant bodies who must aye chat with somebody ; and when he was dressing or getting his breakfast he would talk to me about all the goings-on ; and nae doubt , seeing the h'iendl me ain laird treated me

y way , made him more easy and familiar . " I am afraid , Sandy , I shall have to break faith Avith you , " he said , one da )' . " How so , my laird V 1 asked . " Wh y , " said he , " you agreed to act as

steward on condition that there was nae company to attend to , and here is a party of ladies and gentlemen AVIIO Avant to have a cruise in my yacht . " I said I must do as weel as I could , and the next clay they came , a good dozen

of them , and ate and drank of the best ; and that Avas not the last junketing , either . But there were , plenty of handy lads on board , ready to help , and I got on vera Aveel—only I always am a Avee shamefaced Avith ladies , and that makes a mon

left-handed . There Avas one of them unco bonnylarge dark eyes she had , with lang lashes , which gave her look of wanting protection ; her skin Avas as fair as one of those enamel p ictures you see on a sneezing box , and

her silky black hair made it look all the mair delicate . Anyone could see that Laird Goldfiinch was casting sheep ' s eyes in that direction . He was a vera softhearted young mon , and it was nae wonder he greAV sentimental under such proA-oca tion .

Having nae one else to open his heart to , he talked to me about her , and took me ashore at night Avith him , to Avatch at the corner of the street Avhile he played the guitar and sung under her Avindow , You Avould have thought the puir foreigner folks Avould have been unco glad to get an

English nobleman , and one of the richest of them , into their family , but it seemed nae such thing . Though the lassie herself favoured his attentions , her parents didna approve , for she was betrothed to some Italian prince , Avhom they daredna offend . And sae they just left Palermo , and went to a villa they had on the coast , about seven miles off .

This was the vera thing to deli g ht a romantic young man like Laird Goldfinch—the mair difficulties that Avere put in his ivay , the keener he was ; and I strongly suspect that he had been in a vera similar situation mair than once

before , for lie shoAred a readiness and a slyness which you AVOUICI have hardly expected from the innocent expression of his countenance . The vera next day after the lad y had been taken away , he came on deck , dressed like one of his OAvn creAv—white ducks , straw hat , Avith the name of the yacht , HaAvk , on the ribbon , and all complete—¦