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. 595
if he knew he was the agent, not of Euphemia Setoun, of the honourable
house of Winton, but of E. D., daughter of a Cameronian cowfeeder!Jeanie, I can laugh yet sometimes but God protect you from such mirth.
-My father-I mean your father, would say it was like the idle crackling
of thorns; but the thorns keep their poignancy, they remain unconsumed.
-Farewell, my dearest Jeanie-Do not show this even to Mr. Butler, much
less to any one else. I have every respect for him, but his principles are
over strict, and my case will not endure severe handling.-I rest your affectionate sister, E."
In this long letter there was much to surprise as well as to distress Mrs.
Butler. That Effie - her sister Effie, should be mingling freely in society,
and apparently on not unequal terms, with the Duke of Argyle, sounded
like something so extraordinary, that she even doubted if she read truly.
Nor was it less marvellous, that, in the space of four years, her education
should have made such progress. Jeanie's humility readily allowed that
Effie had' always, when she chose it, been smarter at her book than she
herself was, but then she was very idle and, upon the whole, had made
much less proficiency. Love, or fear, or necessity, however, had proved an
able school-mistress, and completely supplied all her deficiencies.
What Jeanie least liked in the tone of the letter, was a smothered degree
of egotism. " We should have heard little about her," said Jeanie to herself, "but that she was feared the Duke might come to learn wha she was,
and a' about her puir friends here; but Effie, puir thing, aye looks her ain
way, and folk that do that think mair o' themselves than of their neighbours.- I am no clear about keeping her siller," she added, taking up a
~50 note which had fallen out of the paper to the floor. " We hae eneugh,
and it looks unco like theftboot, or hushmoney, as they ca' it; she might
hae been sure that I wad say naething wad harm her, for a' the gowd in
Lunnon. And I maun tell the minister about it. I dinna see that she suld
be sae feared for her ain bonny bargain o' a gudeman, and that I shouldna
reverence Mr. Butler just as much; and sae I'll e'en tell him, when that
tippling body the Captain has ta'en boat in the morning. But I wonder
at my ain state of mind," she added, turning back, after she had made a
step or two to the door to join the gentlemen; "surely I am no sic a fule
as to be angry that Effie's a braw lady, while I am only a minister's wife?
- and yet I am as petted as a bairn, when I should bless God, that has
redeemed her from shame, and poverty, and guilt, as ower likely she might
hae been plunged into."
Sitting down upon a stool at the foot of the bed, she folded her arms upon
her bosom, saying within herself, "From this place will I not rise till I am
in a better frame of mind;" and so placed, by dint of tearing the veil from
the motives of her little temporary spleen against her sister, she compelled
herself to be ashamed of them, and to view as blessings the advantages of
her sister's lot, while its embarrassments were the necessary consequences
of errors long since committed. And thus she fairly vanquished the feeling
of pique which she naturally enough entertained, at seeing Effie, so long the
object of her care and her pity, soar suddenly so high above her in life, as
to reckon amongst the chief objects of her apprehension the risk of their
relationship being discovered.
When this unwonted burst of amour propre was thoroughly subdued,
she walked down to the little parlour where the gentlemen were finishing
their game, and heard from the Captain a confirmation of the news intimated in her letter, that the:Duke of Argyle was shortly expected at Roseneath. -
" He'll find plenty of moor-fowls and plack-cock on the moors of Auchingower, and he'll pe nae doubt for taking a late dinner, and a ped at thoe
Manse, as he has done pefore now."