98 Mary Somerville. 



good-naturedly. She was not a musician, had little 

 voice, but she sang Scotch songs and translations 

 from the Gaelic with, or without, harp accompani- 

 ment ; the serious songs with so much expression, 

 and the merry ones with so much spirit, that she 

 charmed everybody. The death of her brothers and 

 of her father, to whom she was devotedly attached, 

 cast a shade over the latter part of her life. Mr. 

 Lockhart was clever and an able writer, but he was 

 too sarcastic to be quite agreeable ; however, we 

 were always on the most friendly terms. He was 

 of a Lanarkshire family and distantly related to 

 Somerville. After the death of his wife and sons, 

 Lockhart fell into bad health and lost much of his 

 asperity. 



Scott was ordered to go abroad for relaxa- 

 tion. Somerville and I happened to be at the sea- 

 port where he embarked, and we went to take leave 

 of him. He kissed me, and said, " Farewell, my 

 dear ; I am going to die abroad like other British 

 novelists." Happy would it have been if God 

 had so willed it, for he returned completely broken 

 down ; his hopes were blighted, his sons dead, and 

 his only remaining descendant was a grand-daughter, 

 daughter of Mrs. Lockhart. She married Mr. James 

 Hope, and soon died, leaving an only daughter, the 

 last descendant of Sir Walter Scott. Thus the 



