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.

456 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
ing-I dare not go till ye bless me. Say but'God bless ye, and prosper
ye, Jeanie'-try but to say that!"
Instinctively, rather than by an exertion of intellect, the old man murmured a prayer, that "purchased and promised blessings might be multiplied upon her."
"He has blessed mine errand," said his daughter, rising from her knees,
"and it is borne in upon my mind that I shall prosper."
So saying, she left the room.
Mrs. Saddletree looked after her, and shook her head. " I wish she binna
roving, poor thing -There's something queer about a' thae Deanses. I
dinna like folk to be sae muckle better than other folk-seldom comes gude
o't. But if she's gone to look after the kye at St. Leonard's, that's another
story; to be sure they maun be sorted. —Grizzie, come up here, and tak tent
to the honest auld man, and see he wants naething. -Ye silly tawpie,"
(addressing the maid-servant as she entered,) " what garr'd ye busk up your
cockernony that gate?-I think there's been eneugh the day to gie an awfu'
warning about your cockups and your fallal duds - see what they a' come
to," &c., &c., &c.
Leaving the good lady to her lecture upon worldly vanities, we must transport our reader to the cell in which the unfortunate Effie Deans was now
immured, being restricted of several liberties which she had enjoyed before
the sentence was pronounced.
IWhen she had remained about an hour in the state of stupified horror so
natural in her situation, she was disturbed by the opening of the jarring
bolts of her place of confinement, and Ratcliffe showed himself. "It's your
sister," he said, " wants to speak t'ye, Effie."
" I canna see naebody," said Effie, with the hasty irritability which misery
had rendered more acute-" I canna see naebody, and least of a' her-Bid
her take care o' the auld man I am naething to ony o' them now, nor them
to me."
" She says she maun see ye, though," said Ratcliffe; and Jeanie, rushing
into the apartment, threw her arms round her sister's neck, who writhed to
extricate herself from her embrace.
" What signifies coming to greet ower me," said poor Effie, " when you
have killed me?-killed me, when a word of your mouth would have saved
me-killed me, when I am an innocent creature-innocent of that guilt at
least- and me that wad hae wared body and soul to save your finger from
being hurt!"
"You shall not die," said Jeanie, with enthusiastic firnness; " say what
you like o' me-think what ye like o' me-only promise-for I doubt your
proud heart —that ye wunna harm yourself, and you shall not die this
shameful death."
"A shameful death I will not di;- Jeanie, lass. I have that in my heart
-though it has been ower kind a ane —that wunna bide shame. Gae hame
to our father, and think nae mair on me-I have eat my last earthly meal."
" 0,. this was what I feared!" said Jeanie.
"Hout, tout, hinnie," said Ratcliffe; "it's but little ye ken o' thae things.
Ane aye thinks at the first dinnle o' the sentence, they hae heart eneugh to
die rather than bide out the sax weeks; but they aye bide the sax weeks
out for a' that. I ken the gate o't weel; I hae fronted the doomster three
times, and here I stand, Jim Ratcliffe, for a' that. Had I tied my napkin
strait the first time, as I had a great mind till't-and it was a' about a bit
grey cowt, wasna worth ten punds sterling-where would I have been
now?"
" And how did you escape?" said Jeanie, the fates of this man, at first so
odious to her, having acquired a sudden interest in her eyes from their correspondence with those of her sister.
" Holw did I escape?" said Ratcliffe, with a knowing wink,-" I tell ye I