The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

THE HEART OF MID-LOTHIAN. 429
father rooted out o' the yard last May, when it had a' the flush o' blossoms
on it; and then it lay in the court till the beasts had trod them a' to pieces
wi' their feet. I little thought, when I was wae for the bit silly green bush
and its flowers, that I was to gang the same gate mysell."
" 0, if ye had spoken ae word," again sobbed Jeanie, - " if I were free to
swear that ye had said but ae word of how it stude wi' ye, they couldna
hae touched your life this day."
" Could they na?" said Effie, with something like awakened interest —
for life is dear even to those who feel it as a burden- "Wha tauld ye that,
Jeanie?"
"It was ane that kend what he was saying weel eneugh," replied Jeanie,
who had a natural reluctance at mentioning even the name of her sister's
seducer.
"Wha was it? — I conjure you to tell me," said Effie, seating herself
upright. -" Wha could tak interest in sic a cast-by as I am now? - Was
it -was it him?"
"Hout," said Ratcliffe, "what signifies keeping the poor lassie in a
swither?,I'se uphaud it's been Robertson that learned ye that doctrine
when ye saw him at Muschat's Cairn."
" Was it him?" said Effie, catching eagerly at his words - " was it him,
Jeanie, indeed? - 0, I see it was him -poor lad, and I was thinking his
heart was as hard as the nether mill-stane - and him in sic danger on his
ain part - poor George!"
Somewhat indignant at this burst of tender feeling towards the author of
her misery, Jeanie could not help exclaiming -" 0 Effie, how can ye speak
that gate of sic a man as that?"
"We maun forgie our enemies, ye ken," said poor Effie, with a timid look
and a subdued voice; for her conscience told her what a different character
the feelings with which she regarded her seducer bore, compared with the
Christian charity under which she attempted to veil it.
" And ye hae suffered a' this for him, and ye can think of loving him
still?"" said her sister, in a voice betwixt pity and blame.
"Love him!" answered Effie-" If I hadna loved as woman seldom loves,
I hadna been within these wa's this day; and trow ye, that love sic as
mine is lightly forgotten? - Na, na - ye may hew down the tree, but ye
canna change its bend -And 0 Jeanie, if ye wad do good to me at this
moment, tell me every word that he said, and whether he was sorry for poor
Effie or no 1"
" What needs I tell ye ony thing about it?" said Jeanie. " Ye may be
sure he had ower muckle to do to save himsell, to speak lang or muckle
about ony body beside."
" That's no true, Jeanie, though a saunt had said it," replied Effie, with
a sparkle of her former lively and irritable temper. "But ye dinna ken,
though I do, how far he pat his life in venture to save mine." And looking
at Ratcliffe, she checked herself and was silent.
"I fancy," said Ratcliffe, with one of his familiar sneers, "the lassie
thinks that naebody has een but hersell - Didna I see when Gentle Geordie
was seeking to get other folk out of the Tolbooth forby Jock Porteous? but
ye are of my mind, hinny-better sit and rue, than flit and rue-ye needna
look in my face sae amazed. I. ken mair things than that, maybe."
" 0 my God! my God!" said Effie, springing up and throwing herself
down on her knees before him -" D'ye ken where they hae putten my
bairn? -0 my bairn! my bairn! the poor sackless innocent new-born wee
ane-bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh! -O man, if ye wad e'er
deserve a portion in heaven, or a broken-hearted creature's blessing upon
earth, tell me where they hae put my bairn - the sign of my shame and
the partner of my suffering! tell me wha has taen't away, or what they hae
dune wi't!"