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.

234 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
the subject of I)ame Nelly, and that, though he had not played exactly le
faceJifron des vices qu'ils n'cavoit pas, he had not at least been sufficiently
anxious to clear himself of the suspicion of such a crime to men who considered it as a merit. It was therefore with some hesitation, and in a sort
of qualifying tone, that he admitted that some idle jests. had passed upon
such a supposition, although without the least foundation in truth. John
Christie would not listen to his vindication any longer. "By your own
account," he said, "you permitted lies to be told of you in jest. How do I
know you are speaking truth, now you are serious? You thought it, I suppose, a fine thing to wear the reputation of having dishonoured an honest
family, — who will not think that you had real grounds for your base bravado to rest upon? I will not believe otherwise for one, and therefore, my
lord, mark what I have to say. You are now yourself in trouble —As you
hope to come through it safely, and without loss of life and property, tell
me where this unhappy woman is. Tell me, if you hope for heaven -tell
me, if you fear hell-tell me, as you would not have the curse of an utterly
ruined woman, and a broken-hearted man, attend you through life, and bear
witness against you at the Great Day, which shall come after death. You
are moved, my lord. I see it. I cannot forget the wrong you have done
me. I cannot even promise to forgive it-but-tell me, and you shall never
see me again, or hear more of my reproaches."
" Unfortunate man," said Lord Glenvarloch, "you have said more, far
more than enough, to move me deeply. Were I at liberty, I would lend
you my best aid to search out him who has wronged you, the rather that I
do suspect my having been your lodger has been in some degree the remote
cause of bringing the spoiler into the sheepfold."
" I am glad your lordship grants me so much," said John Christie, rev.umaing the tone of embittered irony with which he had opened the singular
conversation; "I will spare you farther reproach. and remonstrance -your
mind is made up, and so is mine -So ho, warder!" The warder entered,
and John went on,-" I want to get out, brother. Look well to your charge
- it were better that half the wild beasts in their dens yonder were turned
loose upon Tower-lill, than that this same smooth-faced civil-spoken gentlemnan were again returned to honest men's company!"
So saying, he hastily left the apartment; and Nigel had full leisure to
lament the waywardness of his fate, which seemed never to tire of persecuting him for crimes of which he was innocent, and investing him with
the appearances of guilt which his mind abhorred. IIe could not, however, help acknowledging to himself, that all the pain which he might sustain from the present accusation of John Christie, was so far deserved, from
his having suffered himself, out of vanity, or rather an unwillingness to
encounter ridicule, to be supposed capable of a base inhospitable crime,
merely because fools called it an affair of gallantry; and it was no balsam
to the wound, when he recollected what Iichie had told him of his having
been ridiculed behind his back by the gallants of the ordinary, for affecting the reputation of an intrigue which he had not in reality spirit enough
to have carried on. His simulation had, in a word, placed him in the unlucky predicament of being rallied as a braggart amongst the dissipated
youths, with whoml the reality of the amour would have given him credit;
whilst, on the other hand, he was branded as an inhospitable seducer by
the injured husband, who was obstinately persuaded of his guilt.