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. 543
ask you no questions about them, because his Grace, who is most considerate
and prudent in such matters, intends to tell me all that you ken yourself,
dear, and doubtless a great deal more; so that any thing that may lie
heavily on your mind may be imparted to me in the meantime, as you see
it is his Grace's pleasure that I should be made acquainted with the whole
matter forthwith, and whether you or he tells it, will make no difference in
the world, ye ken. If I ken what he is going to say beforehand, I will be
much more ready to give my advice, and whether you or he tell me about
it, cannot much signify after all, my dear. So you may just say whatever
you like, only mind I ask you no questions about it."
Jeanie was a little embarrassed. She thought that the'ommunication
she had to make was perhaps the only means she might have in her power
to gratify her friendly and hospitable kinswoman. But her prudence
instantly suggested that her secret interview with Queen Caroline, which
seemed to pass under a certain sort of mystery,. was not a proper subject for
the gossip of a woman like Mrs. Glass, of whose heart she had a much
better opinion than of her prudence. She, therefore, answered in general,
that the Duke had had the extraordinary kindness to make very particular
inquiries into her sister's bad affair, and that he thought he had found the
means of putting it a' straight again, but that he proposed to tell all that he
thought about the matter to Mrs. Glass herself.
This did not quite satisfy the penetrating Mistress of the Thistle.; Searching. as her own small rappee, she, in spite of her promise, urged Jeanie with
still farther questions. " Had she been a' that time at Argyle-house? Was
the Duke with her the whole time? and had she seen the Duchess? a4nd-iad
she seen the young ladies - and specially Lady Caroline Campbel?l" To
these questions Jeanie gave the general reply, that she know':o little of the
town that she could not tell exactly where she had been,;- that she had not
seen the Duchess to her knowledge; that she hadeben two ladies, one of
*whom, she understood, bore the name of Caroline; and more, she said, she
could not tell about the matter.
" It would be the Duke's eldest daughter, Lady Caroline Campbell - there
is no doubt of that," said Mrs. Glass; "but, doubtless, I shall know more
particularly through his Grace. - And so, as the cloth is laid in the little
parlour above stairs, and it is past three o'clock, for I have been waiting
this hour for you, and I'have had a snack myself; and, as they used to say
in Scotland in my time -I do. not ken if the word be used now- there is
ill talking between a full body and a fasting."
Heaven first taught letters for some wretch's aidSome banish'd lover or some captive maid.
POPE.
BY dint of unwonted labour with the pen, Jeanie Deans contrived to indite, and give to the charge of the postman on the ensuing day, no less than
three letters, an exertion altogether strange to her habits; insomuch so,
that, if milk had been plenty, she would rather have made thrice as many
Dunlop cheeses. The first of them was very brief. It was addressed to
George Staunton, Esq. at the Rectory, Willingham, by Grantham; the address being part of the information which she had extracted from the com-:municative peasant who rode before her to Stamford. It was in these
vwords: