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.

402 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
He easily succeeded in putting a pretty ring of gold, with a humorous
affectation of gallantry, on the fat finger of Mistress Deborah Debbitch.
Hers was a soul of a kind often to be met with, both among the lower and
higher vulgar, who, without being, on a broad scale, accessible to bribes or
corruption, are nevertheless much attached to perquisites, and considerably
biassed in their line of duty, though perhaps insensibly, by the love of petty
observances, petty presents, and trivial compliments. Mistress Debbitch
turned the ring round, and round, and round, and at length said, in a whisper,
"Well, Master Julian Peveril, it signifies nothing denying any thing to such
a young gentleman as you, for young gentlemen are always so obstinate I
and so I may as well tell you, that Mistress Alice walked back from KirkTruagh along with me, just now, and entered the house at the same time
with myself."
"WThy did you not tell me so before?" said Julian, starting up; "where
-wbhere is she?"
" You had better aslk why I tell you so now, TMaster Julian," said Dame
Deborah; "for, I promise you, it is against her express commands; and I
would not have told you, had you not looked so pitiful; — but as for seeing
you, that she will not —and she is in her own bedroom, with a good oak
door shut and bolted upon her - that is one comfort. - And so, as for any
breach of trust on my part-I promise you the little saucy minx gives it no
les;s name - it is quite impossible."
"Do not say so, Deborah —only go-only try-tell her to hear me-tell
her I have a hundred excuses for disobeying her commands-tell her I have
no doubt to get over all obstacles at Martindale Castle."
"Nay, I tell you it is all in vain," replied the dame. "When I saw
your cap and rod lying in the hall, I did but say,' There he is again,' and
she ran up the stairs like a young deer; and I heard key turned and bolt
shot, ere I could say a single word to stop her -I marvel you heard her
not."
" It was because I am, as I ever was, an owl - a dreaming fool, who let
all those golden minutes pass, which my luckless life holds out to me so
rarely.-Well-tell her I go-go for ever-go where she will hear no more
of me — where no one shall hear more of me i"
"Oh, the Father!" said the dame, "hear how he talks! - What will become of Sir Geoffrey, and your mother, and of me, and of the Countess, if
you were to go so tir as you talk of? And what would become of poor
Alice too? for I will be sworn she likes you better than she says, and I
know she used to sit and look the way that you used to come up the stream,
and now and then ask me if the morning were good for fishing. And all
the while you were on the continent, as they call it, she scarcely smiled
once, unless it was when she got two beautiful long letters about foreign
p.trts."
" Friendship, Dame Deborah - only friendship - cold and calm remem.
brance of one who, by your kind permission, stole in on your solitude now
and then, with news from the living world without-Once, indeed, I thought
- ut it is all over - farewell."
So saying, he covered his face with one hand, and extended the other, in
the act of bidding adieu to Dame Debbitch, whose kind heart became unable
to withstand the sight of his affliction.
"Now, do not be in such haste," she said; "I will go up again, and tell
her how it stands with you, and bring her down, if it is in woman's power
to do it."
And so saying, she left the apartment and ran up stairs.
Julian Peveril, meanwhile, paced the apartment in great agitation, waiting the success of Deborah's intercession; and she remained long enough
absent to give us time to explain, in a short retrospect, the circumstancees
wh!ich had led to-his present situation.