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.

604 WAVER.LEY NOVELS.
exploits by which they were obtained. Many of her crimles she had boasted
of after conviction, and there was one circumstance for which she seemed to
feel a mixture of joy and occasional compunction. When she was residing
in the suburbs of Edinburgh during the preceding summer, a girl, who had
been seduced by one of her confederates, was intrusted to her charge, and
in her house delivered of a male infant. Her daughter, whose mind was in
a-state of derangement ever since she had lost her own child, according to
the criminal's account, carried off the poor girl's infant, taking it for her
own, of the reality of whose death, she at times could not be persuaded.
Margaret Murdockson stated, that she, for some time, believed her daughter had actually destroyed the infant in her mad fits, and that she gave the
father to understand so, but afterwards learned that a female stroller had
got it from her. She showed some compunction at having separated mother
and child, especially as the mother had nearly suffered death, being condemned, on the Scotch law, for the supposed murder of her infant. When
it was asked what possible interest she could have had in exposing the
unfortunate girl to suffer for a crime she had not committed, she asked, if
they thought she was going to put her own daughter into trouble to save
another? She did not know what the Scotch law would have done to her
for carrying the child away. This answer was by no means satisfactory to
the clergyman, and he discovered, by close examination, that she had a deep
and revengeful hatred against the young person whom she had thus injured.
But the paper intimated, that, whatever besides she had communicated upon
this subject, was confided by her in private to the worthy and reverend
Archdeacon who had bestowed such particular pains in affording her spiritual assistance. The broadside went on to intimate, that, after her execution, of which the particulars were given, her daughter, -the insane person
mentioned more than once, and who was generally known by the. name of
Madge Wildfire, had been very ill-used by the populace, under the belief
that she was a sorceress, and an accomplice in her mother's crimes, and had
been with difficulty rescued by the prompt interference of the police.
Such (for we omit moral reflections, and all that may seem unnecessary
to the explanation of our story) was the tenor of the broadside. To Mrs.
Butler it contained intelligence of the highest importance, since it seemed
to afford the most unequivocal proof of her sister's innocence- respecting
the crime for which she had so nearly suffered. It is true, neither she, nor
her husband, nor even her father, had ever believed her capable of touching
her infant with an unkind hand when in possession of her reason; but there
was a darkness on the subject, and what might have happened in a moment
of insanity was dreadful to think upon. Besides, whatever was their own
conviction, they had no means of establishing Efie's innocence to the world,
which, according to the tenor of this fugitive publication, was now at length
completely manifested by the dying confession of the person chiefly interested in concealing it.
After thanking God for a discovery so dear to her feelings, Mrs. Butler
began to consider what use she should make of it. To have shown it to her
husband would have been her first impulse; but, besides that he was absent
from home, and the matter too delicate to be the subject of correspondence
by an indifferent penwoman, Mrs. Butler recollected that he was not possessed of the information necessary to form a judgment upon the occasion;
and that, adhering to the rule which she had considered as most advisable,
she had best transmit the information immediately to her sister, and leave
her to adjust with her husband the mode in which they should avail themselves of it. Accordingly, she despatched a special messenger to Glasgow,
with a packet, enclosing the Confession of Margaret Murdockson, addressed,
as usual, under cover, to Mr. Whiterose of York. She expected, with anxiety, an answer, but none arrived in the usual course of post, and she was
left to imagine how many various causes might account for Lady Staunton's